In an extraordinary feat of neonatal care, a premature baby girl born at just 400 grams and 24 weeks of gestation in Udaipur has defied all odds to survive. Delivered at Jivanta Children’s Hospital, she is now officially recognized as the lightest surviving newborn in South Asia.
The baby, affectionately named Seeta by hospital staff, was born to a couple from Rajasthan who had been married for 35 years. The delivery was an emergency cesarean section, necessitated by complications in pregnancy and the mother’s high blood pressure. Seeta was born not breathing and had to be immediately placed on a ventilator.
“She could fit in the palm of my hand,” said Dr. Sunil Janged, the neonatologist who led the medical team. “This was one of the most challenging cases we’ve ever seen. At 400 grams, her organs were underdeveloped, and survival was uncertain.”
Over the next six months, Seeta battled through respiratory distress, sepsis, and nutritional challenges. The NICU team provided intensive care that included ventilator support, intravenous nutrition, blood transfusions, and round-the-clock monitoring.
When discharged after 210 days, Seeta weighed 2.4 kilograms and was breathing and feeding normally. Doctors confirmed that her brain and eye development were progressing healthily, a rare achievement in babies born under 500 grams.
Before Seeta, the lightest surviving baby in India weighed 450 grams, born in Mohali in 2012. Globally, survival for babies born below 500 grams is extremely rare and fraught with complications.
“This survival story is nothing short of a miracle,” said Dr. Janged. “It also proves that with the right care and commitment, even the tiniest of lives can be saved—even in non-metro hospitals.”
- Baby’s weight at birth: 400 grams
- Gestational age: 24 weeks
- Hospital: Jivanta Children’s Hospital, Udaipur
- Duration in NICU: 210 days
- Weight at discharge: 2.4 kilograms
- Status: Healthy and developing normally
Seeta’s story is not only one of hope and resilience but also a testament to India’s growing strength in neonatal critical care, especially in Tier-2 cities like Udaipur.
