Nash Keen, a baby born at just 21 weeks and 0 days gestation, has officially been named the world’s most premature baby to survive, according to Guinness World Records. Weighing only 13.9 ounces (394 grams) at birth, Nash defied overwhelming odds and celebrated his first birthday in July 2025.
Born on July 5, 2024, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Nash arrived 19 weeks early. Most hospitals consider 24 weeks as the threshold for viability, making his survival a medical milestone. Nash surpassed the previous record set in 2020 by Curtis Means, who was born at 21 weeks and 1 day.
His mother, Ashton Keen, had a history of early labor and received weekly hormone injections during her pregnancy in hopes of preventing another preterm delivery. Despite these measures, she began experiencing complications and was admitted to the hospital. After her water broke at just 20 weeks and 5 days, she delivered Nash naturally four days later.
Doctors initially offered little hope, stating they could not promise survival. Yet Nash's parents, Ashton and Randall Keen, decided to proceed with full medical intervention. The neonatal team intubated Nash within seconds of birth, and he was rushed to the NICU. Over the next five months, Nash faced several medical challenges including a brain bleed, chronic lung disease, and surgeries to repair a hernia and treat an eye condition.
He spent 160 days in the hospital before being discharged on December 12, 2024. Nash returned home on oxygen and with a feeding tube, but has since made notable developmental progress. By his first birthday, he had gained weight, met key milestones, and no longer required breathing support.
The Keen family marked Nash’s first birthday by applying to Guinness World Records, providing his birth records and detailed medical documentation. In July 2025, Guinness officially confirmed Nash Keen as the most premature baby to survive.
The family expressed gratitude to the medical staff, faith in God, and unwavering hope throughout Nash’s journey. “He is the most joyful baby,” said his mother. “He proves every day that miracles happen.”
(Rh/Eth/Pooja Bansal/MSM/SE)