Baby smaller than grapefruit at birth breaks Guinness World Record on 1st birthday
The baby born at a 21-week gestational age in Iowa City, Iowa, was smaller than a grapefruit as he was hooked up to dozens of monitors and tubes following his July 5, 2024, birth.
'He was born so early that we weren't sure if he'd even survive those first critical hours, but we wanted to give him the best chance,' his mother, Mollie Keen, told Guinness World Records in a July 23 news release.
With a party hat and a cake topped with a mountain of whipped cream, Nash celebrated his first birthday as he broke the Guinness World Record for most premature baby, officials said.
Nash's first year
From the minute Nash was delivered at the University of Iowa hospital, his life was at stake. Doctors resuscitated him and rushed him to the neonatal intensive care unit.
'Caring for a baby born at 21 weeks is very different from typical premature cases,' his doctor, neonatologist Amy Stanford, told world record officials. 'Babies born this early require highly specialized care, constant surveillance and frequent monitoring — every hour can make a difference.'
The baby weighed 10 ounces and measured 9.5 inches long, world record officials said.
Despite his critical state, Nash defied odds with his resilience and the help of his medical team.
'He was so tiny, I could barely even feel him on my chest,' Keen said.
It took three weeks for skin-to-skin contact between mom and baby to be possible, but she described the long-awaited moment as 'pure relief and love all at once.'
'He was covered in wires and monitors, and I was VERY nervous … but the moment he was placed on my chest, all my nerves disappeared,' she told Guinness World Records.
After six months of intensive care, the parents were able to take Nash to their Ankeny home in January.
A feeding tube and oxygen machine have helped Nash thrive at home through his first birthday, officials said. He also spends time at a 'specialized medical daycare' for therapy and has regular checkups with doctors, his mother said.
'He's still just a little boy, our sweet, silly, strong Nash and while the world may see a miracle or a record breaker, we see our son who loves snuggles, silly sounds and blowing raspberries. We're happy to share his light, but we also work hard to keep his life grounded in love, normalcy and joy,' Keen said.
'Momentous' birthday
Balloons surrounded the 1-year-old wearing a green party hat as family and friends celebrated Nash's 'momentous' day.
'It feels surreal, honestly. A year ago, we weren't sure what the future would look like, and now we've celebrated his first birthday,' Nash's mother said.
He was given 70 new outfits, toys and 'a mountain of diapers,' according to officials. His doctors also gave the family permission to give him cake and whipped cream to mark the special day.
Past record holders
Nash's Guinness World Record feat surpassed the previous record holder by just one day, officials said.
Curtis Zy-Keith Means was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on July 5, 2020, at a gestational age of 21 weeks and 1 day, or 132 days early. He also broke the record by one day.
Richard Scott William Hutchinson was born June 5, 2020, in Minneapolis, 131 days early at a gestational age of 21 weeks and 2 days, officials said.
Ankeny is about a 10-mile drive north from Des Moines.
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AP The team quickly provided medicine to Nash to support his organ development and to reduce the risk of complications, according to the release. 'Sometimes babies born at 21 weeks are just too small for even our tiniest breathing tubes and intravenous lines,' said neonatologist Amy Stanford, who treated Nash. 'Our NICU team assessed Nash, and I was able to place a breathing tube. Once we had the breathing tube in, his heart rate stabilized and his oxygen levels were good.' Even so, Nash's chances were slim, as no baby that young had ever survived. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Before Nash's birth, the most premature baby to survive was Curtis Zy-Keith Means, born to 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 days premature. 'We never want the 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, M.D., division director of neonatology at Stead Family Children's Hospital. 'I would have told his parents, 'The chance is zero, but I hope I'm wrong, and we will do everything we can to help him.'' 7 Nash received ongoing care during his 198 days in the hospital, as the team monitored his heart function and brain health. AP Around the one-month mark, Stanford said, the team began to 'breathe a little easier.' 'While we knew Nash still had a long journey ahead, that was the point when we started to feel more confident that he had a real chance of going home.' 'It was a subtle but powerful shift – from day-to-day survival to long-term hope.' 7 In addition to receiving many medications, he also underwent surgery for a perforated bowel, which has an up to 40% mortality rate. AP Nash received ongoing care during his 198 days in the hospital, as the team monitored his heart function and brain health. In addition to receiving many medications, he also underwent surgery for a perforated bowel, which has an up to 40% mortality rate. 'They were on top of it every step of the way. They really gave him a fighting chance,' said Randall Keen. 'They were really honest with us during the whole journey about what his chances looked like. They made sure we were well-informed and kept us involved in all the decision-making.' 7 Earlier this month, Nash — affectionately nicknamed 'Nash Potato' — turned 1 year old, defying all odds. Mollie and Randall Keen After more than six months in the hospital, Nash was finally able to go home in January 2025. He will continue to be monitored for ongoing health issues, including a minor heart defect, and is currently being weaned from oxygen. Nash is still on a feeding tube and wears hearing aids. Although he has had some developmental delays, Nash is getting stronger and more interactive with the help of ongoing therapy sessions, according to his mother. Stanford shared her ultimate goal for Nash — 'that by the time he's 5 years old, when he goes to kindergarten, no one will know that he was born so early.' 7 Guinness World Records has officially recognized Nash as the world's most premature baby to survive. AP 'Nash's remarkable outcome reflects the progress we've made by building on the experiences of those patients who came before him,' she added. Mollie Keen shared that she wants Nash to know how loved he is — and 'how many people have cheered him on from the very beginning.' 'I want him to grow up and be healthy, happy, and confident in who he is. I want him to see his story as a source of strength.'
