The third smallest baby ever to be born and survive weighed just 270 grams, which is about the same as a can of Coke, according to doctors.
Melinda Star was born by caesarian section on Aug 30 at the Los Angeles County USC Medical Centre, almost four months earlier than the expected delivery date and was so small she could fit in the palm of her doctor’s hand.
She received round-the-clock care and her happy parents hope to have her home by New Years Day, as she now tips the scales at 1.87kgs.
“She was always fighting, all the nurses were saying that she was really feisty, she was always fighting for her life,” News.com.au quoted mum Haydee Ibarra as telling the Los Angeles Times.
The 22-year-old mother had to deliver the child at just 24 weeks because of a high blood pressure disorder that put both their lives at risk.
She’s been through a lot and she’s made it. A lot of people doubted her.
They thought that she wasn’t going to make it. She’s a little miracle to me,” Ibarra said.
Kept insulated in the incubator, Melinda was hooked up to a machine to aid her breathing and received nutrition through a feeding tube.
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