Dubai: Baby born at 24 weeks, weighing 700 grams survives after 3-month NICU stay

Dubai: Baby born at 24 weeks, weighing 700 grams survives after 3-month NICU stay

Baby Ashreen at hospital. — Photo: Supplied

Published: Mon 27 May 2024, 6:00 AM Last updated: Mon 27 May 2024, 10:15 PM

As she was expecting her fourth child, Dubai resident Saba Ali was hoping for an uneventful pregnancy like her previous three. However, during the 24th week of pregnancy, she developed a very high fever that refused to go away with any kind of medication.

“I knew something was wrong,” she recalled. “On that day, January 25, I readied my three kids — children aged 12, 8 and 6 — for school and told them that I would go to the hospital to see if everything was ok. My husband was travelling, so I went on my own.”

She reached Aster Hospital Sharjah a little after 6am. Within hours, the doctors delivered a shocker to her — she had to give birth immediately. “I was not prepared, and it was an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “But the doctors explained the gravity of the situation to me, and I placed my trust in them.”

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By 7.22pm that night, she delivered baby Arsheen, who weighed just 700gm. The baby was immediately moved to