Mumbai Miracle: The ‘Nano Preemie’ Who Beat the Odds and Went Home

New Delhi, November 21, 2025: In a profound testament to medical advancement and the sheer will to survive, a newborn girl in Mumbai, dubbed a “nano preemie” by doctors, has been discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after an arduous 124-day battle for life. Born weighing a mere 350 grams—less than the weight of a typical apple and smaller than an adult’s palm—the infant’s survival is being hailed as a miracle and potentially the survival of the lightest baby ever recorded in India.

A Tenuous Beginning at 25 Weeks

The baby, the second child of the Saini family from Malad, was born on June 30 at just 25 weeks of gestation at Surya Hospital in Santa Cruz. Her older sibling, now four, was also a preemie, born at 25 weeks weighing 550 grams. However, the 350-gram birth weight of their second daughter stunned her parents and the medical team, placing her in a category where the odds of survival are extremely low.

“She weighed less than an apple & was smaller than an adult’s palm,” said Dr. Nandkishor Kabra, who was instrumental in her initial critical care, including immediate intubation and surfactant therapy to aid her underdeveloped lungs. While medical science now allows over 60% of premature babies weighing 500-600 grams to be nursed to good health, the prognosis for a 350-grammer, or ‘nano preemie,’ is significantly bleaker.

Battling Life-Threatening Complications

For over four months, the tiny infant remained within the controlled environment of the NICU, engaged in a daily fight against multiple life-threatening complications common in extremely premature births. These included:

• Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Requiring weeks of advanced ventilation.
• Infections: Such as ventilator-associated pneumonia and Cytomegalovirus infection.
• Organ Complications: Including mild bronchopulmonary dysplasia and poor levels of bone minerals (osteopenia of prematurity).
• Metabolic and Visual Issues: She required careful management of blood sugar swings (needing insulin), blood transfusions for anemia, and treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), an eye disease that affects preemies.

Senior neonatologist Dr. Hari Balasubramanian underscored the immense challenge, stating, “Every day was a fight. We managed her on advanced ventilation for weeks, treated infection, controlled sugar swings, and monitored her brain and eyes closely. Her survival is nothing short of a miracle.”

Triumphant Discharge and a Healthy Future

After 124 days of intensive, round-the-clock care, the infant was finally discharged on November 1. At the time of her homecoming, her weight had dramatically increased to 1.8 kg, marking a significant five-fold weight gain. She measured $41.5 \text{ cm}$ in length and had a head circumference of $29 \text{ cm}$.

Crucially, follow-up tests confirmed that the child is neurologically normal for her corrected age, a phenomenal outcome given the high risk of neurodevelopmental challenges in such fragile infants.

Dr. Bhupendra Avasthi, Chief of Surya Hospital, affirmed the significance of the case, declaring the child to be the smallest surviving infant ever recorded in India. This successful outcome highlights the remarkable progress in neonatal care, where the improved quality of care, both for mothers during pregnancy and for children in modern NICUs, is leading to positive results for even the most premature and fragile babies.

The Saini family’s triumphant journey home with their little fighter offers a beacon of hope, showcasing the extraordinary resilience of human life and the dedication of the medical professionals who made this ‘nano preemie’ a survivor.