US Baby Born At 21 Weeks Sets Guinness Prematurity Record

Nash Keen, born in Iowa City at just 21 weeks gestation, has set the Guinness World Record as the most premature baby ever to survive, beating the previous record by one day. Weighing only 10 ounces and measuring 24 centimeters at birth, Nash spent six months in the neonatal intensive care unit before going home to his parents in January 2025. His mother Mollie described the journey as emotional, filled with hope, pride, and moments of fear, but celebrated Nash's resilience and thriving personality as he reached his first birthday. The neonatal team at University of Iowa Health Care’s Children’s Hospital recently began lifesaving treatments for babies born at 21 weeks, contributing to Nash's survival despite the high risks and low survival rates typically associated with such early births. Nash's parents had previously faced a miscarriage and learned of a medical condition that complicated the pregnancy, but advances in neonatal care allowed Nash to defy the odds and grow into a happy, curious toddler. His milestone birthday not only marks a personal victory for his family but also represents a significant moment in maternal-fetal medicine.