Iowa boy born at 21 weeks is now the world's most premature baby
Nash Keen was born in Iowa City, Iowa, on July 5, 2024. That's 133 days, or around 19 weeks, earlier than his expected due date. He weighed just 10 ounces at birth.
The infant spent the next six months in the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital before he was allowed to go home with his parents Mollie and Randall Keen, in January.
After celebrating his first birthday this month, Nash officially received the Guinness World Record for most premature baby, beating the organization's previous record holder born in 2020 in Alabama by just one day.
'Nash is so full of personality. He's a happy baby,' his mother Mollie Keen said Wednesday. 'Being in the NICU as long as he was, you'd think that he would be, you know, more fragile and stuff. And he's not. He's a very determined, curious little boy, and he's just all smiles all the time.'
Nash is among a growing number of extremely premature infants who are getting lifesaving treatment and surviving.
His parents had already experienced the heartbreak of losing a baby when a first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Mollie discovered she had a medical condition that may make it difficult for her to carry a baby to full term.
After becoming pregnant with Nash, the Keens learned at Mollie's 20-week prenatal checkup that she was already two centimeters dilated. Doctors don't typically try to perform lifesaving measures for babies born before 22 weeks gestation as most born that young can't survive.
But with medical help she was able to stall the birth to exactly 21 weeks.
'One of the things I noticed about the medical team is that they were very calm,' Mollie recalled. 'You never really saw them, like, get anxious or anything. And so we kind of just learned to, like, watch them. And if, you know, if the doctors and the nurses weren't freaking out, there was no reason for us to freak out.'
Dr. Malinda Schaefer, a high-risk obstetrician who delivered Nash just hours after he surpassed the 21-week mark, described his birth as a new frontier in maternal fetal medicine.
While the boy has experienced some complications and developmental delays common to those born extremely prematurely, his progress has been as good as medical science could hope for, his doctors say.
At just over a year old, Nash remains on oxygen to help him breathe and is fed solely through a feeding tube, although he's preparing to try pureed foods. He also has a minor heart defect, which his doctors believe will resolve itself as he gets older.
He's not yet crawling, but he is rolling over.
"He's learning how to stand on his two feet, which is awesome," his mother said.
'He's got a lot of strength in those legs.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (VKTX) Nears Obesity Drug Breakthrough with Phase 3 VK2735 Trial
We recently compiled a list of Viking Therapeutics, Inc. stands third on our list. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) is a clinical-stage biopharma company developing treatments for metabolic and endocrine disorders, including obesity, NASH, and rare diseases like X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD). Its lead candidate, VK2735—a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist- is now in Phase 3 VANQUISH trials for obesity and obesity with type 2 diabetes, following strong Phase 1 and 2 results demonstrating significant weight loss and safety, making it one of the best growth stocks in the biotech sector. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) has also completed enrollment in a Phase 2 trial for an oral version of VK2735, with top-line results expected in the second half of 2025. If successful, the oral formulation could offer a more convenient alternative to injectable obesity drugs. The company is further expanding its pipeline with a novel amylin agonist program aimed at metabolic disorders, expecting to file an IND by Q4 2025. Additionally, VK2809, a thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for NASH, has shown positive Phase 2b results. The business is also advancing VK0214 for X-ALD and other programs targeting lipid metabolism. A scientist in the lab, researching the development of biopharmaceutical monoclonal antibody drugs. With a robust pipeline and $808 million in cash (as of June 2025), Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) is well-positioned to fund upcoming milestones. The Phase 3 VK2735 trials and pending oral trial results are key near-term catalysts. While we acknowledge the potential of GOOGL as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. Sign in to access your portfolio
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
World's most premature baby defies all medical odds to reach 1st birthday
An Iowa family recently celebrated a major milestone for a very special baby. Mollie and Randall Keen welcomed their son, Nash Keen, on July 5, 2024. He was born 133 days early, at just 21 weeks of gestation. Guinness World Records has officially recognized Nash as the world's most premature baby to survive. Earlier this month, Nash — affectionately nicknamed 'Nash Potato' — turned 1 year old, defying all odds. When he was born at the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital, Nash weighed just 285 grams (10 ounces) at birth — less than a grapefruit — and measured 24 centimeters long, according to a press release from the hospital. Two years before Nash's premature birth, the Keens lost a baby girl, McKinley, at 18 weeks of gestation. At that time, Mollie Keen was diagnosed with an incompetent cervix, which is when the lower part of the cervix begins to open (dilate) too early, typically in the second trimester, the release shared. She also suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder that can cause fertility difficulties. Six months after their loss, the Keens found out another baby was on the way. 7 Nash Keen, center, laughs as he is photographed with his parents, Mollie and Randall Keen, at the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. AP 'When we went to our local doctor's office for the 20-week scan for Nash, I just had some concerns about how I was feeling, so I asked them to look at me closer — which they normally don't do at that appointment — and they found I was already 2 centimeters dilated,' Mollie Keen said. A few days later, she began having contractions and was placed on bed rest. 'We were devastated,' she said. 'We thought we were going through the exact same thing — we thought we were going to lose this baby.' The medical team at Stead Family Children's Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provides life-saving care for babies born at 21 weeks of gestation and later. 7 Mollie and Randall Keen welcomed their son, Nash Keen, on July 5, 2024. He was born 133 days early, at just 21 weeks of gestation. Mollie and Randall Keen Fortunately, Mollie's care team was able to delay labor until just 10 hours after Nash surpassed the 21-week mark. 'We want what is best for patients, so we really try to convey that we do not know what the outcomes will be for these extremely premature births,' said Malinda Schaefer, M.D., Ph.D., the high-risk obstetrician who delivered Nash. 'It is important for parents to understand most survival rates are low, and if babies do survive, they have a very high risk of long-term complications, even at 22 weeks.' 7 Fortunately, Mollie's care team was able to delay labor until just 10 hours after Nash surpassed the 21-week mark. 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.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Most premature baby ever born celebrates his first birthday
At just 21 weeks gestation, weighing only 10 ounces, baby Nash Keen entered the world fighting. A year later, his parents, Mollie and Randall, are celebrating a milestone they once weren't sure they'd see: Nash's first birthday. Recognized by Guinness World Records as the most premature baby to survive, Nash's story began with heartbreak. Just months before his birth, Mollie and Randall lost their daughter McKinley at 18 weeks gestation. When Mollie became pregnant again in early 2024, joy was tempered with fear. The Keens didn't decorate a nursery. They didn't make plans. They simply hoped. That hope carried them to the University of Iowa Health Care, one of the few hospitals in the U.S. offering life-saving measures for babies born as early as 21 weeks. When Mollie who experienced the complications known as 'incompetent cervix,' began to experience pressure and dilation during her 20-week scan, the Keens made the emergency trip. 'The doctor's outlook looked grim,' Mollie recalled. 'She was not hopeful.' But one nurse's optimism helped the couple hold on. Related: I'm a preemie mom—5 things I wish I knew before my shocking delivery On July 5, 2024, Nash was born—tiny, translucent, and impossibly fragile. A team of neonatologists began resuscitating him immediately. 'Trying to put a tube through basically something the size of a gerbil vein,' Randall said. 'It felt like an eternity, but it was maybe two or three minutes—and then they told us, 'We got him. He can breathe.'' Nash spent 182 days in the NICU, enduring multiple surgeries and defying expectations at every turn. 'He's been through a lot,' Mollie shared, 'but Nash is just so chill.' His family affectionately nicknamed him 'Nash Potato'—a name that stuck so well it made its way onto signs, toys, and even a community of cheering NICU nurses. The road home wasn't quick. Nash's first three weeks were filled with uncertainty, wires, and machines. But when Mollie finally got to hold him for the first time, she said it felt like 'pure relief and love all at once.' Now over 17 pounds and filled with joy, Nash still receives oxygen and has a feeding tube, hearing aids, and regular therapy—but his progress has amazed both his parents and his care team. 'We're incredibly proud of how far Nash has come,' Mollie said. Neonatologist Dr. Amy Stanford, who helped lead Nash's care, emphasized just how far neonatal medicine has come. 'Caring for a baby born at 21 weeks is very different from typical premature cases. Babies born this early require highly specialized care, constant surveillance and frequent monitoring—every hour can make a difference.' Beyond the record-breaking headlines, the Keen family remains grounded in gratitude—for the doctors and nurses who fought for their son, and for the chance to share their story. 'We never set out to be in the spotlight,' Mollie said, 'but sharing Nash's story felt important. We wanted to give hope to other families walking hard medical roads and to show what's possible even in the most uncertain circumstances.' Related: This record-breaking preemie weighed only 14.8 ounces at birth Nash is a reminder of how powerful hope, community, and love can be—especially in the smallest of packages.
