World's smallest surviving baby heads home from San Diego hospital

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KABC) -- Against all odds.

That's how nurses described the incredible survival of young Saybie.

The infant was born 3 months early, at San Diego's Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns.

At just 245 grams, Saybie was considered the world's smallest baby.

Today she's a healthy, happy 5-month-old, but when she was born, she was so tiny and fragile that she fit into the palm of a hand.

Saybie was born in December 2018. Her mother had been experiencing extreme complications of the pregnancy -- her blood pressure was skyrocketing and the baby wasn't gaining weight.

Doctors told her she had to deliver quickly, even though the baby was only 23 weeks along.

"It was the scariest day of my life," Saybie's mother said. She feared her child wouldn't live.

The infant not only survived but thrived, thanks to a dedicated team of experts of neonatologists, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory and physical therapists and social workers.

Her grateful parents took Saybie home a few weeks ago.

Out of privacy concerns, the hospital is keeping the family's identity anonymous but shared video of their story.