22-week-old premature baby survives miraculously, discharged home safely

A baby girl weighing 525 gm at birth at a private hospital in the national capital has now been discharged in good health with a weight of 2.010 kg — said to be a rare survival feat, not just for the Delhi NCR region but for the entire country.

Dr Jay Kishore, Senior Neonatologist at Cloudnine Hospital, Patparganj, led his team to script medical history — successfully discharged the baby born at a gestational age of just 22 weeks and 5 days, after a remarkable 105-day NICU journey.

Dr Kishore said, "This survival is a testament to medical precision, team dedication, and the parents' unshakeable faith. Extreme prematurity is a major challenge, but when science and compassion work together, miracles happen." The parents, who had long battled infertility and suffered a miscarriage after their first IVF attempt, conceived again through IVF. However, their joy turned into anxiety when premature labour began at just 22 weeks and 5 days — a periviable stage where survival rates are exceedingly low.

Against all odds, the baby was delivered, intubated immediately, and resuscitated in the delivery room. Despite being counselled about the poor prognosis, the parents placed their trust in Dr Kishore's expertise and opted for full intensive care support.

The team provided round-the-clock, meticulous care — the baby was ventilated, given early surfactant therapy, and placed on Parenteral Nutrition. By day 3, mother's own milk (MOM) was introduced, and by day 10, the baby was successfully weaned off invasive ventilation. After prolonged non-invasive support using synchronised NIPPV and CPAP on an indigenous Optimedics ventilator, the baby was shifted to room air.

Amazingly, during the entire NICU stay, not a single drop of formula milk was used. The care approach included developmentally supportive care, kangaroo mother care, and exclusive use of mother's milk, which played a critical role in the baby's growth and neurological development. Cranial ultrasounds before discharge were normal, and LASER treatment for Zone 2 Plus ROP was successfully completed.

Dr Kishore said, "A perfect triad of medical excellence, nursing dedication, and parental trust. At 22 weeks, survival is not just about machines or medicines — it's about a system that refuses to give up. Our nurses, associate consultants, and the parents stood by every single day. This is a victory for all of them."