Yerang, South Korea's Smallest Baby, Healthy Discharge After 6 Months

South Korea's Lowest Birth Weight Baby, Yerang, Discharged After 198 Days - A Miracle of Hope

Yerang, the baby born in South Korea with the lowest birth weight, was discharged on the 5th with a healthy appearance. Born weighing only 260g, Yerang increased her weight to 3.19kg after 198 days of intensive care. At Samsung Medical Center's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), she persevered through a miraculous journey of life, surrounded by the dedication of the medical staff and the love of her family.

A Miraculous Life: Yerang's Birth and Treatment Process

Yerang was born on April 22nd of this year, at 25 weeks and 5 days of gestation, weighing a mere 260g - the lowest birth weight ever recorded in the country. At birth, her cries were barely audible, reflecting her tiny and frail body. Immediately after birth, she was transferred to the NICU and began a fight for survival with 24-hour intensive care. She battled life-threatening complications such as respiratory failure and septic shock, undergoing various intensive treatments including mechanical ventilation, antibiotics, vasopressors, and blood transfusions.

Source: Samsung Medical Center

The First Major Hurdle and the Dedication of the Medical Staff

Less than a month after Yerang's birth, she faced her first major challenge. Meconium ileus required surgery, but Yerang was too small to undergo the procedure. Through the collaboration of the pediatric surgery and neonatal teams, meconium was gradually removed, allowing Yerang to overcome this hurdle. This moment remains an unforgettable memory for all the medical staff involved. Professor Yang Mi-seon, who cared for Yerang in the NICU, recalled, "The moment Yerang passed her first stool was truly miraculous," adding that her belief in Yerang's full recovery strengthened considerably.

Rapid Improvement and Recovery, and the "Ilwondong Tiger"

After resolving the meconium issue, Yerang's condition improved dramatically. Soon, she was weaned off the ventilator and began breathing spontaneously, while her weight increased rapidly. Retinopathy of prematurity, a common complication in premature infants, was monitored weekly by the ophthalmology department without major complications. The rehabilitation medicine department conducted daily oral and motor rehabilitation therapy to strengthen Yerang's physical condition. Through this process, Yerang earned the nickname "Ilwondong Tiger," named after the area where the hospital is located, demonstrating her vigorous growth.

Dedication of the Medical Staff and Family

The dedication of the medical staff and nurses played a crucial role in Yerang's recovery. Nurses in the NICU precisely administered nutrition and medication to Yerang's small body, securing a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) and maintaining a high-humidity environment while preventing infection. In particular, nurse Min Hyun-gi served as a steadfast support for Yerang's mother, expressing breast milk even when the mother's vision was temporarily impaired due to pregnancy complications.

Yerang's mother also visited the hospital daily after childbirth to check on Yerang's condition and pray for her recovery. On days she couldn't visit, she remained updated on Yerang's health through phone calls and texts from the medical staff. Thanks to the dedication of her family and the medical team, Yerang overcame the extremely low probability of survival and grew up healthy.

Yerang's Discharge: A Message of Hope

According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), the survival rate for infants born weighing less than 500g is only 36.8%, and for those born under 300g, it is less than 1%. Nevertheless, thanks to the dedication of the medical staff and the love of her family, Yerang was discharged in good health after 198 days. Yerang's discharge sends a powerful message of hope to the Korean medical community and future low-birth-weight premature infants.

Jang Yun-sil, director of the Samsung Medical Center's Moa Intensive Care Center, stated, "Yerang will be a source of hope for all low-birth-weight premature infants to come," emphasizing that "much attention and support are needed to save lives beyond medical limitations." Yerang's story reminds us once again of the importance of never giving up hope for life.