One percent chance of survival: premature babies arrive 132 days early - and survive

An Alabama baby is the world's earliest premature baby.

At 19 weeks premature and a survival rate of less than one percent, the little boy survived.

Birmingham - Little Curtis from the US state Alabama is a small miracle.

On July 5, 2020, he and his twin sister C'Asya saw the light of day - in the 21st week of pregnancy, 132 days too early!

C'Asya died shortly after birth, and the doctors estimated little Curtis' chance of survival to be less than one percent.

“As a rule, we advise compassionate care for such extremely premature births.

This way, the parents can hold their baby in their arms and enjoy the little time they have, ”says attending physician Brian Sims from the University of Alabama.

Birth in the 21st week of pregnancy: premature baby struggles into life

But Curtis did not let himself get down and struggled into life.

He defied all odds, to the amazement of his family and medical team.

He survived the first week, then the first month.

"There were days when we weren't sure he would survive," said Sumita Gray, a Curtis nurse.

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Curtis weighed just 420 grams when he was born.

© Frank May / dpa

In April, 275 days after birth, the baby was discharged from the hospital for the first time.

"Finally taking Curtis home and surprising my older children with their younger brother is a moment I will always remember," reveals little Curtis' mother.

Premature baby with world record

Curtis even set a world record: As the premature child to survive, he now has his own entry in the Guinness Book of Records.

When he was born, he weighed just 420 grams.

“We don't know what the future holds for Curtis because there is no one like him.

On the day he was born, he began to write his own story.

This story is read and studied by many and will hopefully help improve care for premature babies around the world, ”said Brian Sims, a doctor.

In 2019, 778,000 babies were born in Germany.

Of these, around 66,000 of the newborns were so-called premature babies.

Babies who are born before the 37th week of pregnancy are considered premature babies.

Most premature babies have a weaker immune system, which is why they are particularly susceptible to infections.

So it is all the more dangerous that the RS virus is currently circulating in Germany, which can be particularly dangerous for premature babies.

List of rubric lists: © Frank May / dpa