Smaller than a palm: How India’s tiniest infant battled to survive for 124 days

When their second daughter was born at just 25 weeks on June 30, the Saini family from Malad believed they knew what to expect. Their first child had also arrived prematurely at the same gestational age and weighed 550 grams.

But this time, the shock was greater— their newborn weighed only 350 grams, making her possibly the smallest infant ever to survive in India.

The baby was delivered at Surya Hospital in Santacruz, and the medical team acted immediately. “She weighed less than an apple & was smaller than an adult's palm,” said neonatologist Dr Nandkishor Kabra, who intubated her within minutes and administered surfactant therapy to support her lungs.


Medical science today has made it possible for babies weighing 500–600 grams to survive in more than 60% of cases. But the chances for an infant as tiny as 350 grams—what Dr Kabra describes as a “nano preemie”—remain extremely slim.

Four months of daily battles

What followed was a 124-day struggle inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), during which the infant fought through a series of severe complications.

Her medical journey included respiratory distress syndrome, mild bronchopulmonary dysplasia, ventilator-associated pneumonia, anemia, cytomegalovirus infection, retinopathy of prematurity and issues with bone development. She also required transfusions, insulin support and close monitoring for potassium imbalance.

“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,” said senior neonatologist Dr Hari Balasubramanian.

A record-setting survivor

On November 1, after more than four months in intensive care, she was discharged—stronger and stable. At the time of discharge, she weighed 1.8 kg, measured 41.5 cm in length, and had a head circumference of 29 cm. “We conducted tests and found that she is neurologically normal for her age,” Dr Kabra said.

Surya Hospital’s chief Dr Bhupendra Avasthi said the infant is the smallest baby to ever survive in India. The verdict is reinforced by experts outside the hospital as well.

Dr Prashant Mane, who leads the NICU at state-run JJ Hospital, said, “A 350 gm baby would be the lightest one to survive,” crediting the outcome to improvements in prenatal care and NICU management.

(With inputs from ToI)