A child being touted by international media as "the world's most premature baby" is preparing to leave the hospital after spending Easter at home following five months of neonatal care.
As the Associated Press is reporting, doctors at the Fulda Children's Clinic in Fulda, Germany say Frieda was born on Nov. 7, 2010 at 21 weeks and five days. At the time, she weighed just 16 ounces 9 (one pound), but has now reached a weight of 7.7 pounds.
Calling the baby's survival "a medical miracle," the clinic's chief doctor, Reinald Repp, told reporters, "Frieda was kept in a completely sterile environment, with her breathing assisted and fed through her navel...there is no foreseeable risk of aftereffects for the moment."
Children born before 22 weeks have a low chance of survival as major organs such as the lungs, heart and brains are not fully developed and entering the world at less than 32 weeks put them at an increased risk for problems regarding development. According to reports, Frieda was originally a twin, but the other child -- a brother named Kilian -- died a few days after being born.
As the Telegraph reports, the previous premature baby record was thought to be held by Canadian James Gill, who was also born 21 weeks and five days early, in 1987.