A Malaysian woman has given birth to a 24-week-old premature baby in Singapore, so small the infant can fit the palm of an adult hand.

The baby weighed only 670g at birth.

The couple from Malaysia has been advised by their doctor here to keep their baby under observation in the hospital's incubator.

But medical expenses have been projected to hit S$400,000 (RM1.25 million).

The baby girl, Eloise Ang Xuan Rui, is currently in the hospital incubator, but the exact location has not been revealed.

According to One Hop Charity, the parents could not make it back to Malaysia in time for delivery.

Why baby delivered so early

The first-time parents, Ang Theam Seah, 32, and Koh Pei Ying, 29, got married in Malaysia on May 20, 2020.

Not long after their marriage, Koh had to fly to Singapore for work.

Ang also subsequently came to Singapore looking for work.

Baby Eloise was conceived in August last year, and the couple planned to deliver their child back in Sungai Petani, Kedah in Malaysia, by making their way back when Koh was eight months pregnant.

However, on Feb 19, Koh, who was 24 weeks pregnant then, developed abdominal pain.

She was prescribed with medication.

On Feb. 21, she felt the pain in her abdomen again.

She was rushed to the hospital for a medical checkup and she was discovered to be dilating.

Koh was administered with medication in the hopes that the baby remained inside of her.

A few hours later, her condition became unstable and she was found to be ready to give birth.

On Feb. 22, at 3a.m., the baby girl was born.

Remain in incubator for gestation period

Upon delivery, baby Eloise was to remain in incubation for around 160 days.

She can only leave the incubator on her expected date of delivery or when her condition becomes stable.

The baby's skin has been described as nearly transparent, with many internal organs not fully formed, and she requires round-the-clock observation.

The couple's combined income is less than S$5,500.

The father, Ang, works as a coordinator at a construction company in Singapore with a monthly income of S$2,700.

His wife, Koh Pei Ying, works in customer service for a loan department in Singapore, earning S$2,768.

One Hope Charity, a non-profit organisation founded in 2002 and based in Malaysia, has launched a fundraising campaign to help the couple out.

Their fundraiser has been publicised by Malaysian media.