Little Manushi was born at 28 weeks in India, tipping the scales at just .88lbs (0.39kg).
Her feet had been so tiny they were the size of her dad's thumbnail and it was feared she would not survive.
Months later she has defied expectations after being well enough to be discharged from Jivanta Children's Hospital NICU hospital in Rajasthan, weighing 5.2lbs (2.3kgs).
Delighted mum Seeta, 48, and dad Giriraj, 50, called her their “real-life miracle”.
They said: “She's just fought and fought and fought against all the odds, but she's made it.”
Mum Seeta suffered dangerously high blood pressure during her pregnancy with an ultrasound revealing an absence of blood flow to the foetus. Manushi arrived early by an emergency C-section in Rajasthan, after her mum Seeta’s blood pressure rocketed, putting her life in danger.
The tiny tot was born struggling to breathe and with underdeveloped lungs, heart, brain and kidneys.
She also had paper-thin skin and was given a 0.5% chance of survival.
And at just 8.6in long at birth, she is believed to be the smallest surviving baby in Asia. Chief neo-natologist Dr Sunil Janged said: “She was struggling to breathe, so was immediately put on advanced respiratory support ventilator to expand her tiny, immature lungs.
“We had to start the baby on total parenteral nutrition, which basically means giving all the essential nutrients such as amino acids, carbohydrates, minerals and multivitamins directly into blood circulation [sic].”
She has now been discharged from hospital, and is believed to be developing normally.
The majority of her medical costs of Rs 1,000,000 (£11,500) were also waived by the hospital, given the family's low income.
Hospital director Dr Sunil Janged said: “We decided to save the life of the baby and offer her necessary medical care and attention because we wanted to send out a message that a girl child must be protected.
“In a state like Rajasthan where female infanticide is rampant, people have to come forward and take step to end this evil practice.”
The smallest baby ever born is believed to be Emilia Grabarczyk. She had been born in 2015, weighing only 0.5lbs (.22kgs) in Witten, Germany.
Delighted mum Seeta and dad Giriraj said: “She's just fought and fought and fought against all the odds, but she's made it.”
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