A baby boy who was born weighing no more than a large apple is finally ready for the outside world.
Ryusuke Sekino was dubbed the world's smallest baby boy when he was delivered via emergency caesarean section at Nagano Children’s Hospital in Azumino after 24 weeks and five days of pregnancy.
His mother, Toshiko, had experienced hypertension and doctors decided to perform the emergency surgery, reports the Japan Times.
At 258 grams (9.1 ounces) he was lighter than the previous record holder, another Japanese boy who weighed just 268 grams when he was born last year in Tokyo.
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That baby was discharged from Keio University Hospital in February.
Ryusuke, born on October 1, measured just 22 centimetres tall and medical staff kept him in a neonatal intensive care unit.
Tubes were used to feed him with cotton swabs also used to apply his mother's milk this his mouth.
Nearly seven months later he now weighs more than three kilogrammes and it is expected he will be released from hospital this weekend.
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His mother Toshiko said: “When he was born, he was so small, and it seemed as if he would break with a touch. I was so worried.
“Now he drinks milk. We can give him a bath. I am happy that I can see him growing.”
The smallest surviving girl was born in Germany in 2015 weighing 252 grams, according to a registry put together by the University of Iowa of the world’s tiniest surviving babies.
The survival rate for tiny babies is substantially lower for boys than for girls.
