Overview

• At exactly 21 weeks gestation on July 5, 2024, Nash Keen was born weighing 10 ounces and measuring 9.5 inches, earning Guinness World Records this week as the most premature baby ever to survive.
• He surpassed the previous record by one day when he reached his first birthday on July 5, prompting official Guinness recognition announced Wednesday.
• After six months in the University of Iowa Health Care’s Level IV NICU, Nash continues to rely on continuous oxygen, a feeding tube and hearing aids while attending specialized medical daycare.
• Dr. Patrick McNamara hailed the Stead Family Children’s Hospital NICU as a “national treasure” for pioneering 21-week survival protocols and acknowledged that no infants born at his gestational age had previously lived.
• The Keen family credits candid risk discussions and cutting-edge neonatal interventions, including advanced ultrasound and hemodynamic monitoring, with reframing global viability boundaries.