A “miracle” baby girl who weighed just 1lb 2oz (511g) when she was born more than four months prematurely has safely gone home from hospital.

Mother Tayla Menear, 26, gave birth to Lilly at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on December 9 last year, 22 weeks into her pregnancy.

Baby Lilly was allowed to leave the ward on Tuesday after four months of round-the-clock care, having grown to 5lb 8oz (2.5kg)

She is now being cared for at home near Fakenham in Norfolk by mother Ms Menear, a specialist support assistant, and 29-year-old father Shane Rumbles, who works for a builders’ merchants.

A large team of doctors and nurses helped Lilly overcome three serious infections and a bleed on her brain, for which she had to undergo major surgery.

Ms Menear said: “We owe all the staff at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit everything – for saving our little 22 week miracle.”

Consultant neonatologist Dr Priya Muthukumar, who helped save Lilly, said it is too early to predict exactly what Lilly’s long-term outcome will be, but added: “In terms of her longer prognosis, it’s looking pretty good.”

The hospital’s chief executive Sam Higginson said: “I am absolutely delighted that Lilly has made such good progress and that she has been able to go home.

“These have been challenging times for Tayla and Shane and I wish them all the joy in the world.”