World's Smallest Surviving Baby Leaves San Diego Hospital

The average weight of a baby at birth is seven and a half pounds. Sometimes, babies are born heavier than that and sometimes they're lighter, but never has a baby survived weighing what a newborn named Saybie weighed at birth. Little Saybie was just 8.6 ounces, and she now holds the title of the tiniest baby ever to survive.

Born when her mom was just 23 weeks and 3 days pregnant (normal term is about 40 weeks), the tiny baby entered the world weighing as much as a juice box, which is actually half the weight of a normal 23-week baby. After a five month stay at San Diego's Sharp Mary Birch Hospital, Saybie has finally gone home, weighing a much healthier 5.6 pounds.

To mark the momentous occasion, the hospital released a video detailing Saybie's already incredible life story.

In it, the baby's mom, who has chosen to stay anonymous, describes her daughter's birthday as "the scariest day" of her life. She went to the hospital with complications and was diagnosed with preeclampsia. After the diagnosis, her doctors felt they had to deliver Saybie, even though her chances of survival were slim. They even told Saybie's father that he had maybe an hour with his daughter before she would pass away. However, according to Saybie's mom, "That hour turned into two hours, which turned into a day, which turned into a week."

Saybie is being described not only as a fighter, but as a miracle as well. One nurse stated, "If she can start off where she was and do as well as she can be, there's nothing she can't do."

Photo: Sharp HealthCare