Charlotte, North Carolina – A baby born 14 weeks early who weighed just 10 ounces was discharged on Wednesday from the Carolina’s Medical Center where doctors were carefully taking care of her.
E’Layah Faith Pegues, born on September 23, finally got to go home after spending 5 months the Carolina’s Medical Center. E’Layah is now weighing 5 pounds and 7 ounces. Doctors had to combine breast milk and a special formula, packed with extra nutrients, that was given to her through a feeding tube to keep her healthy.
“We’ve had to fine-tune our approach with E’Layah,” Herman added. “We are now feeding her a combination of protein, fat, sugar, electrolytes and vitamins that will help prevent infections, mature her intestines and help her gain weight.”
Her doctors believe she is the smallest surviving baby ever seen at the hospital. Dr. Jennifer Clark-Pounder said she was a miracle just in the fact that she was able to make it out of the delivery room and survive the first couple of weeks.
The premature birth and low birth weight came as E’Layah’s mother, Megan Smith, had a difficult pregnancy, suffering from high blood pressure and even having two strokes. Megan was on bed rest for a month, but she had to go through an emergency Cesarean section after doctors realized that E’Layah had stopped moving.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2014, preterm birth affected about one out of every 10 infants born in the U.S. Babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are consider premature, which can lead to long-term neurological disabilities in children and it’s the biggest contributor to infant death. Babies born before 32 weeks are at the highest risk. E’Layah was born at week 26.
Source: CBS News