Posted on 06/09/2026 11:17:09 AM PDT by Morgana
A baby girl, born at 22 weeks and 5 days on World Prematurity Day, defies odds as the youngest ever surviving baby to be born at a hospital in the UAE.
Baby Talia was born weighing only 400g in November. Her birth was so sudden that Talia was still in her amniotic sac when she was born, and her skin was very thin and transparent. Despite her incredibly small size, the medical team immediately started life-saving care, including advanced breathing support and intubation.
As is common with extremely premature babies, it was not smooth sailing once baby Talia was out of the womb, and shortly after birth, she required strong antibiotics. In the first few days of Talia’s life, there was concern about potential brain injury due to infection and Talia’s extreme prematurity.
Home after 129 days in intensive care
Baby Talia’s doctor, Dr Maria Theresa Reyes, said that this case pushed the medical team past their current experience. “We have had several 23‑week infants weighing around 500 grams with excellent outcomes”, explained Dr Reyes, but “Talia is our first 22‑week infant, weighing just 400 grams. She is the smallest 22‑weeker ever reported in the UAE”.
Talia’s condition continued to stabilise, as small amounts of breast milk helped her grow and build immunity. Now, after over 4 months in intensive care, baby Talia was finally able to go home to her family. Weighing 2.6kg at the time of her discharge from hospital, doctors found no concerns for long-term health complications.
Her mother, Jade, shared that “our little warrior, Talia, has shown us what strength, courage, and faith really mean”. She further explained that “we spent four months by her side in the NICU, holding on to hope through every moment. We learned how to love through wires, alarms, and uncertainty. How to smile while our hearts were breaking”. Jade said that “the NICU changed us completely”, and that Talia’s family would “always be grateful to the team who stood with us through it all”.
King’s College London Hospital in Dubai has achieved a NICU survival rate of 99.3%, and Baby Talia’s case marks a milestone for neonatal medicine in the UAE, highlighting the growing capabilities of advanced neonatal intensive care.
Spokesperson for Right to Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “Baby Talia’s case is a testament to the strength and courage of so many premature babies. We hope she has a safe return home and that she will continue to grow and be a beacon of hope to her family”.
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A friend of mine’s daughter was born in Abu Dhabi while he was posted there. The way the doctor acted when he came out to the waiting room made my friend think that one or both had died. The doc’s demeanor was because it wasn’t a boy. The former Marine almost slugged the doctor.
One of the worst insult in the Arab world is to call someone the father of daughters.
The doctor was apologizing profusely before the facts came out so knowing Arabs, he was probably blamed harshly for delivering girls prior. The whole region is screwed up.
Very likely!
Back in the day, I worked in medical research and spent a lot of time in the Neo Natal ICU.
We had a premiere that probably was the smallest in history up til that point. I remember one of the nurses holding him up in the palm of her hand and he did not fill her hand.
He survived
My late sister miscarried when she was 5 months pregnant. The baby perfectly formed on the outside weighed one pound, so small that she fit in an ordinary shoe box. My sister & her husband buried the little girl where my sister is now buried.
400 grams is about 88% of a pound. That’s awfully small.
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