	Small babies - Low Birth Weight (LBW) or (SGA)
	At full term, the average baby will be about 20 inches (51 cm) long and will weigh approximately 6 to 9 pounds (2700 to 4000 grams). Small for gestational age (SGA) babies are those whose birth weight lies below the 10th percentile for that gestational age. Low birth weight (LBW), is sometimes used to define a baby that weighs less than 5 lb 8 oz (2500 g) regardless of gestational age. One third of babies born with a low birth weight are also small for gestational age. Other definitions include Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) which is less than 3 lb 5 oz (1500 g), and Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW) which is less than 2 lb 3 oz (1000 g). About 10 percent of fetuses are low birth weight. A health care provider may suspect fetal growth restriction if the mother's uterus measurement (fundal height) is lower than expected. This can be confirmed with a series of ultrasounds that will monitor how quickly the fetus is growing. The main causes for Low Birth Weight: The two main causes of LBW are early delivery, also known as preterm birth, and poor fetal growth. About 70% of all LBW babies are born preterm - before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. The remaining 30% of low birth weight babies are born at full term, but did not grow properly in the womb. More Information on... Low Birth Weight (LBW) and (SGA) ¦ High Birth Weight (HBW) and (LGA)

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Some of the world's low birth weight babies

A brief description of some of the world's smallest babies can be found on this page.
For more information, photos and updates, click on the name links in the table below.

Birth Weight ounces ¦ grams		Year of Birth	Name	Place of Birth	Gestational Age
8.4 oz	244 g	2004	Rumaisa (F)	Chicago ,IL,USA	25 weeks
9.3 oz	265 g	2006	- (F)	Tokyo, Japan	25 weeks
9.88 oz	280 g	1989	Madeline (F)	Chicago ,IL,USA	26 weeks
10 oz	283 g	2006	Amillia (F)	Miami, FL,USA	23 weeks
10 oz	283 g	1938	Marian (F)	South Shields, UK	34 weeks
10.1 oz	287 g	2002	- (F)	Florence, Italy	27 weeks
10.2 oz	289 g	1999	- (F)	Tokyo, Japan	23 weeks
10.24 oz	290 g	2000	Sophia (F)	Portland, OR,USA	25 weeks
10.26 oz	290 g	2001	- (F)	Ulm, Germany	23 weeks
10.26 oz	290 g	2007	- (F)	Houston, TX,USA	23 weeks
10.6 oz	300 g	2000	- (F)	Holon, Israel	25 weeks
10.6 oz	300 g	2007	Kimberly (F)	Göttingen, Germany	25 weeks
10.7 oz	303 g	2002	- (F)	Landstuhl, Germany	26 weeks
10.8 oz	305 g	2004	Zoe Koz (F)	Naperville, IL,USA	27 weeks
10.9 oz	310 g	2000	- (F)	Evansville, IN,USA	26 weeks
11.7 oz	332 g	2004	- (M)	Des Moines, IA,USA	26 weeks
12.5 oz	354 g	2007	Ruby Dunn (F)	Bristol, UK	26 weeks

A few premature baby facts

Premature birth is defined as birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Every year in America, more than 500,000 babies are born early, from about 4,500,000 births
About 1,400 premature babies are born each day in the USA - about 1 in 9
About 60,000 births, out of 700,000 in the UK each year, are premature births.
About 160 premature babies are born each day in the UK - about 1 in 11
The UK baby, Aaliyah Hart, born in Birmingham on May 27, 2003, weighed just 12oz.
Alex Franks, London, born in February 1999 at 22 weeks, and weighing just 1lb 1oz, she is thought to be the most premature baby to survive in the UK.
Babies born at 23 weeks have about 17% chance of survival
Babies born at 24 weeks have about 36% chance of survival
Babies born at 25 weeks have about 50% chance of survival
Babies born at 26 weeks have about 80% chance of survival
From 32 weeks onwards, most babies are able to survive with the help of medical technology
50 per cent of premature babies suffer health problems.

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	Some of the smallest babies in the world Rumaisa 8.6 ounces (244g) 19 September 2004 - Chicago
	Rumaisa Rahman weighed 8.6 ounces (244g) or less than a can of soft drink, and was just 9.5 inches (24 cm) long. She has a twin, Hiba, who weighed 1 pound 4 ounces (563g) at birth. The babies were conceived naturally and the twins were delivered by Caesarean section at 25 weeks and six days on September 19 2004 at Loyola University Medical Center. Their mother, Mahajabeen Shaik, 23, developed severe pre-eclampsia, a disorder characterised by high blood pressure and other problems, during pregnancy. She and her husband, Mohammed Abdul Rahman, 32, are originally from Hyderabad, India. Rumaisa means "white as milk" in India, while Hiba means "gift from God". For *more* information, photos and updates, on Rumaisa Rahman

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	Madeline 9.9 ounces (280 g) 27 June 1989 - Florida
	Madeline Mann weighed just 9.9 ounces (280 g) and had a length of 25 cm when she was born in 1989, making her the smallest baby in the world at the time. Her parents conceived her by artificial insemination. Madeline started out as one of triplets. The two others died at 12 weeks' gestation. Her 36-year-old mother developed pre-eclampsia, a potentially dangerous condition that raised her blood pressure and squeezed the blood flow to the developing fetus. Doctors decided to perform a Caesarean section at 27 weeks gestation, 13 weeks before her due date. For *more* information, photos and updates, on Madeline Mann

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	Amillia 10 ounces (283 grams) - Florida - October 24th, 2006
	Amillia Taylor is often reported as the most-premature baby. She was born on 24 October 2006 in Miami, Florida, at 21 weeks and 6 days. This report has created some confusion as her age was measured from a date of conception (through IVF) rather than the date of her mother's last menstrual period making her appear 2 weeks younger than if her age was calculated by the more common gestation method. Amillia Sonja Taylor was just 9.5 inches (24.13 centimeters) long and weighed less than 10 ounces (283 grams) when she was born Oct. 24. She was delivered after just under 24 weeks of pregnancy. For *more* information, photos and updates, on Amillia Taylor

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	Marian Chapman - UK, Born 10 ounces (283g) at 34 weeks
	For many years, The Guinness Book of World Records, The Human Body Section, Reproductivity, Babies read: "Smallest. The lowest birth weight on record for a surviving infant is 10 oz. in the case of Marion Chapman, born in South Shields, England, on June 5th, 1938." [In 1989 that spot was taken over by Madeline Mann, Florida USA, born 9.9 ounces (280 g).] Her mother was unaware of being pregnant and Marian was born into a chamber pot. Birth weight recorded as 10 oz (283g), length 12.25 inches (31 cm); born unattended; nursed by Dr. D. A. Shearer, who fed her hourly for the first 30 hours with brandy, glucose, and water through a fountain-pen filler and Dr Shearer said he could have put her in his breast pocket. For *more* information, photos and updates, on Marian Chapman

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	Little Ruby, born 12.5 ounces (354g) at 26 wk - 1 Year old
	Britain's tiniest baby born Feb. 3, 2006. Born 14 weeks premature at just 12.5oz (354g), doctors feared that Ruby Angel Dunn would not survive. Ruby, whose weight dropped to just 10.5oz soon after birth, at 1yr weighed nearly 11 pounds (4.9kg). Born at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, she had 15 blood transfusions, battled an infection and repeatedly stopped breathing. Mother Kerry, 41 and Father Craig, 38 said: "Ruby's first birthday is a day we thought we would never have. We are delighted. She is now such a healthy, happy baby." For *more* information, photos and updates, on Ruby Dunn

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Kimberley - 10.6 ounces (300g) March 2007 Germany

Kimberly Mueller, is the smallest baby ever born and the youngest survivor in Germany after she was born 15 weeks prematurely. Her chances of living were rated at worse than 1,000-1.

Tiny Kimberley Mueller weighed just over 10 ounces when she was born on 12.Mar.2007. Her chances of living were rated at worse than 1,000-1 when she was born 15 weeks prematurely. But Kimberley, who was just 10.2 inches (26cm) long, spent months on a life support system as doctors in Hanover, Germany fought to save her. The tiny mite was kept in an incubator for warmth and drip-fed, while a respirator help her breathe.

For more information, photos and updates, on Kimberly Mueller

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