Most premature baby celebrates his 1st birthday with a Guinness World Record
Nash Keen was born on July 5, 2024 — 133 days earlier than the expected due date and weighing only 10 ounces (283 grams) — about the size of a bar of soap. He spent the next six months in the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital before he was allowed in January to go home to Ankeny, Iowa, with parents Mollie and Randall Keen.
'Nash is so full of personality. He's a happy baby,' Mollie Keen said Wednesday, adding that he's slept through most nights since coming home from the NICU. 'Being in the NICU as long as he was, you'd think that he would be, you know, more fragile and stuff. And he's not. He's a very determined, curious little boy, and he's just all smiles all the time.'
Nash is among the
growing number
of extremely premature infants who are getting lifesaving treatment and surviving. Upon reaching his first birthday, Guinness World Records declared Nash the world's most premature baby, beating out by a single day the organization's previous record holder born in 2020 in Alabama.
Nash's parents had already experienced the heartbreak of losing a baby when Mollie's first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. That's when she learned of a medical condition she had that might make it difficult for her to carry to full term.
Mollie worried she and her husband might lose Nash, too, when she learned at her 20-week prenatal checkup that she was already 2 centimeters dilated. Doctors don't typically try to perform lifesaving measures for babies born before 22 weeks gestation as most born that young can't survive. But Mollie learned the neonatal team at Stead Family Children's Hospital was performing lifesaving measures on babies born at 21 weeks gestation. She went into labor days before that benchmark, but with medical help, she was able to stall the birth to exactly 21 weeks.
The next month was fraught with medical scares as an entire team of doctor's worked to keep Nash alive and thriving.
'One of the things I noticed about the medical team is that they were very calm,' she recalled. 'You never really saw them, like, get anxious or anything. And so we kind of just learned to, like, watch them. And if, you know, if the doctors and the nurses weren't freaking out, there was no reason for us to freak out.'
Dr. Malinda Schaefer, a high-risk obstetrician who delivered Nash just hours after he surpassed the 21-week mark, described his birth as a new frontier in maternal fetal medicine. Still, when consulting with the Keens before the birth, she didn't sugarcoat Nash's chances at survival or the likelihood that he would face serious medical complications if he did survive.
'Ultimately, it is not me that lives with the outcomes of parents' decisions, so it is really important to me to have honest and open conversations with parents, so they feel fully informed to make the best decision for them and their family,' Schaefer said.
While Nash has experienced some complications and developmental delays common to those born extremely prematurely, his progress has been as good as medical science could hope for, his doctors say.
At just over a year old, Nash remains on oxygen to help him breathe and is fed solely through a feeding tube, although he's preparing to try pureed foods. He also has a minor heart defect, which his doctors believe will resolve itself as he gets older.
He's not yet crawling, but he is rolling over.
'He's learning how to stand on his two feet, which is awesome,' his mom said. 'He's got a lot of strength in those legs.'
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2 days ago
- Yahoo
Most premature baby ever born celebrates his first birthday
At just 21 weeks gestation, weighing only 10 ounces, baby Nash Keen entered the world fighting. A year later, his parents, Mollie and Randall, are celebrating a milestone they once weren't sure they'd see: Nash's first birthday. Recognized by Guinness World Records as the most premature baby to survive, Nash's story began with heartbreak. Just months before his birth, Mollie and Randall lost their daughter McKinley at 18 weeks gestation. When Mollie became pregnant again in early 2024, joy was tempered with fear. The Keens didn't decorate a nursery. They didn't make plans. They simply hoped. That hope carried them to the University of Iowa Health Care, one of the few hospitals in the U.S. offering life-saving measures for babies born as early as 21 weeks. When Mollie who experienced the complications known as 'incompetent cervix,' began to experience pressure and dilation during her 20-week scan, the Keens made the emergency trip. 'The doctor's outlook looked grim,' Mollie recalled. 'She was not hopeful.' But one nurse's optimism helped the couple hold on. Related: I'm a preemie mom—5 things I wish I knew before my shocking delivery On July 5, 2024, Nash was born—tiny, translucent, and impossibly fragile. A team of neonatologists began resuscitating him immediately. 'Trying to put a tube through basically something the size of a gerbil vein,' Randall said. 'It felt like an eternity, but it was maybe two or three minutes—and then they told us, 'We got him. He can breathe.'' Nash spent 182 days in the NICU, enduring multiple surgeries and defying expectations at every turn. 'He's been through a lot,' Mollie shared, 'but Nash is just so chill.' His family affectionately nicknamed him 'Nash Potato'—a name that stuck so well it made its way onto signs, toys, and even a community of cheering NICU nurses. The road home wasn't quick. Nash's first three weeks were filled with uncertainty, wires, and machines. But when Mollie finally got to hold him for the first time, she said it felt like 'pure relief and love all at once.' Now over 17 pounds and filled with joy, Nash still receives oxygen and has a feeding tube, hearing aids, and regular therapy—but his progress has amazed both his parents and his care team. 'We're incredibly proud of how far Nash has come,' Mollie said. Neonatologist Dr. Amy Stanford, who helped lead Nash's care, emphasized just how far neonatal medicine has come. 'Caring for a baby born at 21 weeks is very different from typical premature cases. Babies born this early require highly specialized care, constant surveillance and frequent monitoring—every hour can make a difference.' Beyond the record-breaking headlines, the Keen family remains grounded in gratitude—for the doctors and nurses who fought for their son, and for the chance to share their story. 'We never set out to be in the spotlight,' Mollie said, 'but sharing Nash's story felt important. We wanted to give hope to other families walking hard medical roads and to show what's possible even in the most uncertain circumstances.' Related: This record-breaking preemie weighed only 14.8 ounces at birth Nash is a reminder of how powerful hope, community, and love can be—especially in the smallest of packages.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Most premature baby celebrates his 1st birthday with a Guinness World Record
Most premature baby celebrates his 1st birthday with a Guinness World Record A baby born at only 21 weeks of gestation last July in Iowa City, Iowa, has just celebrated his first birthday, and among his gifts is a Guinness world record for most premature baby. Nash Keen was born on July 5, 2024 — 133 days earlier than the expected due date and weighing only 10 ounces (283 grams) -- about the size of a bar of soap. He spent the next six months in the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital before he was allowed in January to go home to Ankeny, Iowa, with parents Mollie and Randall Keen. 'Nash is so full of personality. He's a happy baby,' Mollie Keen said Wednesday, adding that he's slept through most nights since coming home from the NICU. 'Being in the NICU as long as he was, you'd think that he would be, you know, more fragile and stuff. And he's not. He's a very determined, curious little boy, and he's just all smiles all the time.' Nash is among the growing number of extremely premature infants who are getting lifesaving treatment and surviving. Upon reaching his first birthday, Guinness World Records declared Nash the world's most premature baby, beating out by a single day the organization's previous record holder born in 2020 in Alabama. Nash's parents had already experienced the heartbreak of losing a baby when Mollie's first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. That's when she learned of a medical condition she had that might make it difficult for her to carry to full term. Mollie worried she and her husband might lose Nash, too, when she learned at her 20-week prenatal checkup that she was already 2 centimeters dilated. Doctors don't typically try to perform lifesaving measures for babies born before 22 weeks gestation as most born that young can't survive. But Mollie learned the neonatal team at Stead Family Children's Hospital was performing lifesaving measures on babies born at 21 weeks gestation. She went into labor days before that benchmark, but with medical help, she was able to stall the birth to exactly 21 weeks. The next month was fraught with medical scares as an entire team of doctor's worked to keep Nash alive and thriving. 'One of the things I noticed about the medical team is that they were very calm,' she recalled. 'You never really saw them, like, get anxious or anything. And so we kind of just learned to, like, watch them. And if, you know, if the doctors and the nurses weren't freaking out, there was no reason for us to freak out.' Dr. Malinda Schaefer, a high-risk obstetrician who delivered Nash just hours after he surpassed the 21-week mark, described his birth as a new frontier in maternal fetal medicine. Still, when consulting with the Keens before the birth, she didn't sugarcoat Nash's chances at survival or the likelihood that he would face serious medical complications if he did survive. 'Ultimately, it is not me that lives with the outcomes of parents' decisions, so it is really important to me to have honest and open conversations with parents, so they feel fully informed to make the best decision for them and their family," Schaefer said. While Nash has experienced some complications and developmental delays common to those born extremely prematurely, his progress has been as good as medical science could hope for, his doctors say. At just over a year old, Nash remains on oxygen to help him breathe and is fed solely through a feeding tube, although he's preparing to try pureed foods. He also has a minor heart defect, which his doctors believe will resolve itself as he gets older. He's not yet crawling, but he is rolling over. "He's learning how to stand on his two feet, which is awesome," his mom said. 'He's got a lot of strength in those legs.' Margery A. Beck, The Associated Press
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Iowa boy born at 21 weeks is now the world's most premature baby
A little boy born at only 21 weeks of gestation has officially broken the record for the world's most premature baby. Nash Keen was born in Iowa City, Iowa, on July 5, 2024. That's 133 days, or around 19 weeks, earlier than his expected due date. He weighed just 10 ounces at birth. The infant spent the next six months in the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital before he was allowed to go home with his parents Mollie and Randall Keen, in January. After celebrating his first birthday this month, Nash officially received the Guinness World Record for most premature baby, beating the organization's previous record holder born in 2020 in Alabama by just one day. 'Nash is so full of personality. He's a happy baby,' his mother Mollie Keen said Wednesday. 'Being in the NICU as long as he was, you'd think that he would be, you know, more fragile and stuff. And he's not. He's a very determined, curious little boy, and he's just all smiles all the time.' Nash is among a growing number of extremely premature infants who are getting lifesaving treatment and surviving. His parents had already experienced the heartbreak of losing a baby when a first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Mollie discovered she had a medical condition that may make it difficult for her to carry a baby to full term. After becoming pregnant with Nash, the Keens learned at Mollie's 20-week prenatal checkup that she was already two centimeters dilated. Doctors don't typically try to perform lifesaving measures for babies born before 22 weeks gestation as most born that young can't survive. But with medical help she was able to stall the birth to exactly 21 weeks. 'One of the things I noticed about the medical team is that they were very calm,' Mollie recalled. 'You never really saw them, like, get anxious or anything. And so we kind of just learned to, like, watch them. And if, you know, if the doctors and the nurses weren't freaking out, there was no reason for us to freak out.' Dr. Malinda Schaefer, a high-risk obstetrician who delivered Nash just hours after he surpassed the 21-week mark, described his birth as a new frontier in maternal fetal medicine. While the boy has experienced some complications and developmental delays common to those born extremely prematurely, his progress has been as good as medical science could hope for, his doctors say. At just over a year old, Nash remains on oxygen to help him breathe and is fed solely through a feeding tube, although he's preparing to try pureed foods. He also has a minor heart defect, which his doctors believe will resolve itself as he gets older. He's not yet crawling, but he is rolling over. "He's learning how to stand on his two feet, which is awesome," his mother said. 'He's got a lot of strength in those legs.'
