The world’s most premature baby challenges all the odds to reach the first birthday

An Iowa family recently held an important milestone for a very special baby.

Mollie and Randall Keen welcomed their son, Nash Keen, on July 5, 2024. He was born 133 days earlier, with only 21 weeks gestation.

Guinness World Records has officially recognized Nash as the most premature baby in the world to survive.

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Earlier this month, Nash – nicknamed “Nash Potato” – converted a year of 1 year, challenging all odds.

When he was born at the Iowa University Health Care Hospital, Nash, Nash weighed only 285 grams (10 ounces) at birth, less than a pomelo, and measured 24 centimeters long, according to a statement from the hospital.

Two years before Nash’s premature birth, The Keens lost a girl, McKinley, at 18 weeks of gestation.

At that time, Mollie Keen was diagnosed with an incompetent cervix, which is when the bottom of the cervix begins to open (dilate) too soon, usually in the second quarter, the shared launch.

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He also suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder that can cause fertility difficulties.

Six months after his loss, Keens learned that another baby was running.

“When we went to our local doctor’s consultation for 20 -week exploration for Nash, I only had some worries about how I felt, so I asked them to do closer, they usually did not in this appointment, and found that they already had two centimeters on dilated,” said Mollie Keen.

A few days later, he began to have contractions and went to bed.

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“We devastated each other,” he said. “We thought we were going on the same thing: we thought we would lose this baby.”

The medical team of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Neonatal Hospital of the Nicu Hospital (NICU) of Stead Family provides life attention to babies born at 21 weeks gestation and then.

Fortunately, Mollie’s care team could delay the labor until only 10 hours after NASH exceeded the 21 -week mark.

“We want what is best for patients, so we really try to convey that we do not know what the results will be for these extremely premature births,” said Malinda Schaefer, MD, Doctor, the high -risk obstetricist who handed Nash.

“It is important for parents to understand most survival rates, and if babies survive, they have a very high risk of long -term complications, even at 22 weeks.”

The team quickly provided Nash medicines to support their organ development and reduce the risk of complications, according to the statement.

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“Sometimes babies born at 21 weeks are too small, even our tiny breathing tubes and intravenous lines,” said Nash Stanford, Nash. “Our NICU team valued Nash and I was able to place a breathing tube. Once we had the breathing tube, the heart rate stabilized and the oxygen levels were good.”

However, Nash’s possibilities were scarce, as no baby that Young had ever survived.

Prior to Nash’s birth, the most premature baby who survived was Curtis Zy-Kake Means, born in Michelle Butler on July 5, 2020 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, according to Guinness World Records. He was born at a gestational age of 21 weeks and 1 day, which was 132 premature days.

“We never want parents to lose hope, but many of them are in an unreal situation, so we have to be very honest with them,” said Patrick McNamara, MD, director of Neonatology at the Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

“He would have told his parents:” The opportunity is zero, but I hope I am wrong and we will do our best to help. “”

“I want you to see your story as a source of strength.”

Around the mark of a month, Stanford said, the team started to “breathe a little easier”.

“Although we knew Nash still had a long journey ahead, it was the point where we started to feel -we were more secure than it had a real chance to return home.”

“It was a subtle but powerful change: from day -to -day survival to long -term hope.”

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Nash received continuing care during its 198 days at the hospital, as the team oversaw their heart function and brain health.

In addition to receiving many medicines, it also underwent surgery for a perforated intestine, which has a 40%mortality rate.

“They were on top of each step of the way. They really gave him a chance to fight,” said Randall Keen. “They were really honest with us throughout the trip about their possibilities. They made sure we were well informed and remained involved in the entire decision -making.”

After more than six months in the hospital, Nash was finally able to return home in January 2025.

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It will continue to be controlled by current health problems, including a minor cardiac defect, and is currently weaning oxygen. Nash is still in a power tube and has a hearing aid.

Although he has had some delays in development, NASH becomes stronger and more interactive with the help of ongoing therapy sessions, according to his mother.

Stanford shared his final goal for Nash – “that when he is 5 years old when he goes to kindergarten, no one will know he was born so soon.”

“The remarkable result of Nash reflects the advances we have made based on the experiences of the patients who came in front of him,” he added.

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Mollie Keen shared that he wants Nash to know how he is esteem and “how many people have encouraged him from the beginning.”

“I want it to grow and be healthy, happy and trusting who it is. I want to see its story as a source of strength.”