# 1-Pound baby born early expected to survive. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 25, 2015, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-pound-baby-born-early-expected-to-survive/732471 "2015-09-25T11:27:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-pound-baby-born-early-expected-to-survive/732471/1 "2015-09-25T11:27:51Z")
Wow. Would you look at the size of this baby. > **[1-Pound Baby Born Early Aboard Cruise Ship Survives](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/09/24/443253587/1-pound-baby-born-early-aboard-cruise-ship-survives?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=npr&utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews)** > > Emily Morgan and her husband, Chase, wrapped their three-months premature baby in towels to keep him warm and alive until the ship reached Puerto Rico. They got him to a hospital just in time. Given the circumstances of his birth, this is extraordinary. Wishing this young boy the very best of luck. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-pound-baby-born-early-expected-to-survive/732471/2 "2015-09-25T12:59:47Z")
Those parents are \ stressed out right now, my son was 4.5 pounds at birth and did not stay in the hospital and I was constantly terrified of him catching a cold or flu or anything that could interrupt feeding and getting his weight up. I was forgetting to drink, never mind eat. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-pound-baby-born-early-expected-to-survive/732471/3 "2015-09-25T13:23:17Z")
> [@](#): > > The baby was born 30 minutes later. The doctors on board told Morgan that she had miscarried and her child had died. When she asked to see the baby, they refused. > > Then, she says, came another shock. > > “About 45 minutes after I had delivered, the two doctors came back in and said the baby was still alive, however, they didn’t expect him to live very long.” There isn’t much in life I become unreasonable about, but that would cause a hulk out moment right there. You aren’t stopping me from seeing my baby, and my wife would not only never forgive me if I didn’t but she would be hulking out too. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-pound-baby-born-early-expected-to-survive/732471/4 "2015-09-25T15:50:16Z")
Sounds like top notch doctors on board. They also advised her to keep her legs together to prevent giving birth on the ship. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-pound-baby-born-early-expected-to-survive/732471/5 "2015-09-25T17:38:23Z")
[It’s been known to happen.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=102470) ---
**Author:** ![Hermione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cdc98d/32.png) [@Hermione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermione)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-pound-baby-born-early-expected-to-survive/732471/6 "2015-09-26T00:33:30Z")
I was a three-pounder. (Due Christmas, arrived Oct. 26th, in an incubator for a while and didn’t leave the hospital for some weeks at least.) My former co-worker’s grandchildren were born at about six months, and were about a pound each. Luckily, their lungs were fully formed. They are a thriving seven years old now–and as plump as anything. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-pound-baby-born-early-expected-to-survive/732471/7 "2015-09-26T19:03:01Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Sounds like top notch doctors on board. They also advised her to keep her legs together to prevent giving birth on the ship. IANAD, but from everything I’ve heard and read, keeping legs together will not prevent birth. It may, however, cause brain damage and conditions such as cerebral palsy. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-pound-baby-born-early-expected-to-survive/732471/8 "2015-09-28T01:08:58Z")
My twin grandsons were born at 6 months. They were 2 pounds each, but their lungs were formed so they didn’t even need assistance breathing. They just turned 18 months old. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-pound-baby-born-early-expected-to-survive/732471/9 "2015-09-28T01:40:53Z")
My neice was born three months early too, not sure her weight. Her dad took his wedding ring off his finger and put it on her arm like a bracelet. It was really loose. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-pound-baby-born-early-expected-to-survive/732471/10 "2015-09-28T02:29:12Z")
My son was 1 lb 8 at 23 weeks. He’s 17 now, and a senior in high school who is looking forward to attending college in a science field. I believe **Whynot** ’s daughter was about the same size and gestation. The baby born on the cruise ship has some extra challenges: the delay in care is likely to be a big deal. I wish the family well. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-pound-baby-born-early-expected-to-survive/732471/11 "2015-09-28T02:50:38Z")
> [@Ca3799](#): > > My son was 1 lb 8 at 23 weeks. He’s 17 now, and a senior in high school who is looking forward to attending college in a science field. > > I believe **Whynot** ’s daughter was about the same size and gestation. > > The baby born on the cruise ship has some extra challenges: the delay in care is likely to be a big deal. I wish the family well. Yes, but, if the picture is to be believed, he’s on just a Vapotherm or simple nasal canula, which is, like, SOOOOOO exciting, especially with a delay in treatment! I’m shocked he’s not intubated. And[this article](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/af2fb2beab3d496f88b905ae592c9d6c/1-12-pound-baby-born-cruise-ship-beats-odds-survive) pegs him at 1.5 pounds, which is much more believable for his gestational age. If my math is right, this little guy was 24 weeks, 4 days from LMP, or 22 weeks, 4 days from conception. WhyBaby was a bit earlier, at 23 weeks and 6 days from LMP (21,6 conception), and 620 grams, or roughly a pound and a quarter. Which doesn’t seem like much of a difference, but his extra 5 days of gestating bumps his odds of survival up from about 50/50 to 75/25. Big difference with small babies. Go, little dude. You can do it!