In what could certainly make an argument for an absolute miracle, a North Carolina-born baby is leaving the hospital after a birth weight of only 10 ounces.
Oh “Little One” so tiny at 10 ounces
E’Layah Faith Pergues would have been forgiven by her parents and doctors alike if she didn’t make it. Not only has she made it, but today saw her discharge date arrive and doctors agreeing that it was time for her to go home and begin her life. This was not her first discharge date, she’s had many, but what made it special is that she finally got the go ahead to leave 24-hour medical supervision.
“It’s frustrating because you get hope and you think finally my baby is coming home,” said her mother Megan Smith who rarely left her side since birth. “After all this long time, today is the day.”
Young Pergues was born in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Carolina’s Medical Center 14 weeks early and at the weight of a mere 10 ounces.
“She was a miracle just in the fact that she was able to make it out of the delivery room and survive the first couple of weeks,” Dr. Jennifer Clark-Pounder said.
“Our goal since her birth was to grow her as quickly and as safely as we could,” said Dr. Andrew Herman, MD, neonatologist and chief medical officer at Levine Children’s Hospital in a statement after acknowledging that the team of doctors weren’t even sure how to feed her at first.
The doctors finally agreeing on a combination of special formulas and breast milk.
“We’ve had to fine-tune our approach with E’Layah,” Herman added. “We are now feeding her a combination of protein, fat, sugar, electrolytes and vitamins that will help prevent infections, mature her intestines and help her gain weight.”
Hospital staff called the 10 ounces baby “Tater Tot”
The premature birth and low birth weight came as a result of what could easily be described as a horrific pregnancy with Megan Smith suffering from both high blood pressure and two strokes. Despite being on bed rest for over a month doctors performed an emergency Cesarean section after seeing that E’Layah was no longer moving in her mother’s womb.
E’Layah know weighs nearly 10 times her birth weight and has “outgrown most of her preemie clothes,” according to her mother.
“She is a very busy little lady, always grabbing and pulling things and moving around,” Smith said. “We are all very excited to be going home. It’s been a long journey and we are looking forward to the next chapter, Smith told reporters.
The family is confident that she will have a healthy, happy life in front of her.
