Kochi: All of 22 weeks in the mothers' womb, still hale and healthy.
A pair of twin girls from Kochi attained a unique record at birth. After just having been in the mother's womb for just 22 weeks, they probably had the shortest gestation periods known.
The babies, who weighed just around half a kilo each at the time of birth, have shown normal growth after five months at the intensive care at a private hospital in Aluva.
Anoop and his wife, Neelima, from Ernakulam, had been undergoing fertility treatment for two years. Neelima was admitted to the hospital after 20 weeks into the pregnancy after her health deteriorated.
100 days on ventilator
A team of doctors at the hospital, led by gynecologist V.P. Paily, conducted a surgery and took out the babies when they had attained a growth of just 22 weeks and four days. One baby weighed 452 gm and the other, 500 gm. From then, neo-natologist Madhu George and his team took charge. They survived with ventilator support for 100 days. Once they showed signs of improvment, the babies were shifted to the intensive care unit.
Breaking Sakshi's record
Babies are usually taken out only after at least 24 weeks in the womb. The existing record for a baby born before 24 weeks was that of Sakshi, born at 23 weeks in Mumbai. The baby weighed only 460 gm as she was born on May 5, 2015. Her height was just 30 cm. She is known to be in perfect health.
The baby born 'youngest' in the world is James Ergin Gill, a Canadian born after a womb growth of 21 weeks and four days.
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