A Case of Prematurity with Extreme Deficiency in Weight

In connection with the following case it would be of interest to know what is the lowest recorded weight of a surviving infant. A coolie woman, Tanti by caste, aged about sixteen years, came for treatment for malarial fever to the hospital on this estate on 23rd February, 1931. Her haemoglobin percentage was only 40, so she was treated for hookworm as well as malaria, and on 2nd April, 1931, her haemoglobin percentage had risen to 60. On the morning of 5th April, 1931, I was informed that the woman had given birth to a child during the night. I weighed the child on 7th April, 1931, and found it was only 1 lb. 10 oz. in weight. The mother, who has remained living in the coolie lines, has had practically no milk since her confinement, and the child who had no power to suck milk from a feeding bottle was consequently given milk with a piece of cloth. In addition to milk, Virol was also given regularly. The child had constipation for about two months; this was treated with liquid paraffin and castor oil. On 6th June, 1931, the child was attacked with malarial fever which was treated with quinine in Virol and by rectal injections of quinine. In spite of such poor weight, premature birth at about seven months, constant constipation and an attack of malarial fever, the child has improved steadily in general health and weight, as may be seen from the following table. The weighings were checked by the visiting medical officer, Dr. R. A. Murphy. Date. Weight.