Baby born at 21 weeks is the most premature in the world

After losing her first daughter, born at almost 18 weeks, Mollie Keen became pregnant again. She was "excited" but also "very nervous." For the second time in less than two years, in 2024, she gave birth to a premature baby. Nash Keen was born at 21 weeks, weighing 285 grams and measuring 24 centimeters. He spent six months in the hospital in Iowa (United States) before being allowed to go home. Earlier this month, on July 5th, he celebrated his first birthday—and entered the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most premature baby.

The mother, who describes her son as "very determined, curious, and always smiling," recalls that in the "critical first hours" there was no certainty that he would survive. "He was so tiny, I could barely feel him on my chest. He was covered in wires and monitors, and I was so nervous... but the moment he was placed on my chest, all the nerves disappeared. I waited so long for that skin-to-skin contact—three weeks to be exact—and I felt pure relief and love at the same time," she recalls in an interview with Guinness .

Currently, just over a year old, Nash Keen is still unable to crawl and has "some medical needs." "He receives oxygen, has a feeding tube, and uses hearing aids for mild hearing loss. He attends a specialized medical daycare center, where he receives all his therapies. We also have regular checkups," says Mollie Keen. "Nash isn't just a record-breaker, he's a heartthrob."

This week, Nash Keen was recognized by Guinness as the world's most premature baby. He held the title by just one day. The previous record was held by Curtis Zy-Keith Means, who was also born on July 5th, but in 2020, at 21 weeks and 1 day in the US.