Maine’s youngest baby born at 22 weeks goes home

By Meghan Torjussen

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    PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) — A baby girl, born at 22 weeks, is the youngest baby ever born in Maine.

Todaym Winner looks like an average little one, a tiny pout of an eight-month-old baby, wearing a flowered onesie.

However, Winner’s story is anything but average. Winner was born at 22 weeks gestation and weighed just over one pound.

The challenges of taking care of a baby that tiny are many, including raspatory issues and feeding problems.

Sandy Fournier was Winner’s primary nurse.

“Oh, she was so fun. Of course, she was tiny,” Fournier said.

Fournier has been a NICU nurse at Maine Medical Center for 46 years. In that time, so much has changed in medical care.

“When I first started, we wouldn’t save babies if they were under 750 grams and didn’t cry. It’s wonderful to be able to see the babies that survive now,” Fournier said.

Neonatologist Dr. Alan Picarillo was her doctor. He says a turning point seems to be when doctors started thinking not just about life but the quality of life.

“Now, of course, survival is important but intact survival started becoming as important — all that side effects that happen with extreme prematurity,” Picarillo said.

Going forward, Winner will have to follow care with chances of neurological issues and vision impairment.

But she’s already defied the odds — even doctors admit science can’t explain it all.

“Most of us went in to this field because truly babies are the most miraculous creatures in the world,” Picarillo said.

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