Premature Baby Celebrates First Birthday with Guinness World Record

In Iowa City, Iowa, a remarkable milestone has been achieved by Nash Keen, who was born at just 21 weeks of gestation — one of the most premature survival stories ever documented. Born on July 5, 2024, Nash weighed only 10 ounces (283 grams), roughly the size of a bar of soap, and was delivered nearly four months ahead of his due date. Despite the extreme prematurity, Nash celebrated his first birthday on July 5, 2025, earning a Guinness World Record for the most prematurely born baby to survive.

Nash's journey began after his mother Mollie Keen faced significant medical challenges. During her pregnancy, she was already 2 centimeters dilated at the 20-week mark, and her healthcare team at the University of Iowa's Stead Family Children's Hospital worked tirelessly to delay labor. When she went into labor days before reaching 21 weeks, doctors performed life-saving interventions typically not attempted at such an early gestation. Nash arrived through an emergency delivery, and his early birth was fraught with medical struggles.

He spent the first six months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where careful and specialized care supported his fragile life. Presently, Nash continues to face some health challenges; he depends on oxygen to breathe, is fed via a feeding tube, and has a minor heart defect that doctors expect will resolve over time. However, his developmental progress is promising: he is learning to roll over, standing with assistance, and showing signs of strength and resilience.

Mollie Keen recalled the calm professionalism of the medical team, which helped her and her husband stay composed during their intense ordeal. The couple's prior experience of pregnancy loss added emotional gravity to Nash’s survival story. Neonatologist Dr. Malinda Schaefer emphasized that Nash’s birth marked a new frontier in maternal-fetal medicine, pushing the boundaries of viability and opening discussions about the possibilities and challenges of extreme prematurity.

While Nash’s case demonstrates incredible medical advances, it also highlights the uncertain journey faced by families of extremely premature infants. Nash’s survival and health are a testament to the dedicated care of the neonatal team and the resilience of these fragile babies.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-premature-baby-celebrates-1st-birthday.html