World's smallest baby born at San Diego hospital

SAN DIEGO - A healthy, nearly six-pound infant born in December was discharged from a San Diego hospital this month, making her the world's smallest baby in recorded history to survive, Sharp Healthcare announced.

The baby, nicknamed Saybie, at birth weighed 8.6 ounces, or 245 grams, seven grams fewer than the previous infant to be deemed the smallest baby, and was 9 inches long, according to the Tiniest Baby Registry at the University of Iowa.

Saybie's mother, whose name was withheld, gave birth via emergency cesarean section at 23 weeks, just over half the length of a normal pregnancy.

At the time of her birth, Saybie weighed as much as a large apple or a juice box and was not gaining weight in her mother's womb. However, she was not afflicted with medical issues like hemorrhaging and lung and heart maladies that often occur in babies born as premature and underweight as her, according to Sharp Healthcare.

"No one expects their baby to be born with complications,'' said Trisha Khaleghi, senior vice president and CEO at Sharp Mary Birch. "But when the unexpected occurs, Sharp Mary Birch is equipped with the latest technologies, equipment, research and specially trained experts to care for even the world's smallest baby.''

Saybie weighed roughly 5 1/2 pounds and measured 16 inches when she was discharged earlier this month. Despite the five-month hospital stay, the infant is now resting at home happy and healthy, according to the hospital.