During her pregnancy, Seeta’s blood pressure was so high it began to become dangerous. When she was in her 28th week, an ultrasound revealed something that neither she nor anyone else wanted to hear. Blood flow was not reaching the placenta, which could be fatal.
The doctors were forced to make an unexpected and risky decision: an acute caesarean section. It was June 15, 2017.
400 grams
When the girl was born, her foot was the size of her father Giriraj’s fingertips, stunning everyone. The tiny baby weighed only 400 grams and was 21 centimeters long. To put this into perspective, at least 2.5 kilograms is needed for a newborn to be considered healthy, and newborns’ average length is 50 centimeters.
Manushi was not breathing when she entered the world, as a newborn’s lungs usually mature in week 34. But despite everything, her family decided not to give up. The little girl was moved to the intensive care unit and was put on artificial respiration.
Her organs had not yet developed and her skin was as sensitive as paper.
“When the baby was born, we were not sure what would happen. Saving a baby this size was a big challenge,” Sunil Janged, director of the neonatal department at the hospital where the baby was born, told , adding: “… After seven weeks Manushi managed to get milk, and gradually began to breathe on her own. Her brain and eyes began to develop as well. During her stay at the hospital she received multiple blood transfusions.”
7 månader gammal
But Manushi is much more than just a girl, she’s the whole of India’s girl, explains the doctor.
“We decided to save the baby’s life and gave her all the medical help she needed for us to show that all girls should be protected,” says the doctor. He explains that in the state of Rajasthan are often killed, just for being girls, and that practice needs to end.
Manushi’s case has since spread throughout the world and it is hoped that her rescue will help improve girl’s situation in India. Manushi’s chances of survival were minimal, but on January 15, 2018, she finally went home. She is now 7 months old and weighs 2.4 kilos, according to
Mom Seeta, 48, and dad Giriraj, 50, are from Rajasthan and have been married 33 years. They say their daughter is a miracle and it is quite easy to agree!
“She fought and fought and struggled against all odds… and made it,” says the joyful mother.
