by Michelle Stein posted in Pregnancy

When Courtney Stensrud went into pre-term labor at just 21 weeks and 4 days pregnant, the prognosis for her baby girl was grim. Miraculously, the 15-ounce infant pulled through -- and she very well may be the "most premature known survivor to date," according to a case report about her birth.
Published in the journal Pediatrics last week, the report details the preemie's remarkable journey, which began when Stensrud's membranes ruptured prematurely. This, coupled with an infection of the placental membrane, made delivery imminent at Methodist Children's Hospital in San Antonio, Texas.
Right after Stensrud gave birth -- while the umbilical cord was still attached -- neonatalogist Dr. Kaashif Ahmad (and lead author of the report) counseled Stenrud about the micro-preemie's extremely low chances of survival. Initially, he recommended against resuscitating the baby. "Although I was listening to him, I just felt something inside of me say, 'Just have hope and have faith.' It didn't matter to me that she was 21 weeks and 4 days. I didn't care," Stensrud told CNN. " As he was talking to me, I just said, 'Will you try"'"

Although Ahmad wasn't expecting to do so when he entered Stensrud's labor and delivery room, the neonatologist made the call to "proceed with a vigorous resuscitation." Ahmad explained:
"So we placed her under an overhead warmer, we listened, and we heard her heart rat...