A PREMATURE baby who was smaller than a hand when she was born at 22 weeks is thriving at home after more than four months in hospital.

Sofia Viktoria Birina weighed just 1.1lb when she was born on October 2 last year, although she was not due until February 1 this year.

Mother Egija Birina said: “Everything was fine at the 20-week scan. Then just over a week later, I felt pain, so I went into hospital and was told that I was already dilated...”

Her daughter was given just a 10% chance of survival in labour and even less of a chance beyond that, but became one of the youngest ever surviving premature babies in the UK and finally went home on February 10.