Born at 21 Weeks, Iowa Infant Named World’s Most Premature Surviving Baby
Nash Keen of Ankeny, Iowa, has made history as the world’s most premature surviving infant, according to Guinness World Records. Born 133 days early on July 5, 2024, at just 21 weeks gestation and weighing only 10 ounces, Nash turned one year old this month — a milestone once thought impossible.
After a heartbreaking prior loss, Nash’s mom, Mollie Keen, went into labor before 21 weeks due to an incompetent cervix. Most hospitals don’t attempt resuscitation before 22 weeks, but University of Iowa Health Care did, and it made all the difference.
Nash spent 189 days in the NICU, battling a perforated bowel, chronic pulmonary hypertension, and other complications, but he made it. Discharged in January 2025, he continues to grow stronger every day. “Nash is incredibly resilient,” said Dr. Stanford. “He let us do what we needed to do — and he kept fighting.”
Dr. Edward Bell added: “Our NICU’s outcomes at 22 weeks are among the best in the world. Now we’re seeing success at 21 weeks — when families request it and babies are stable enough.”
As Nash celebrates his first birthday, his journey underscores the right to survival and life, where even the most fragile infants deserve a fighting chance.
Through specialized neonatal care, Nash also benefited from the right to health and health services, ensuring access to life-saving interventions and ongoing medical support.
His continued growth and progress embody the right to development, which includes the nurturing of physical, emotional, and cognitive potential. Most importantly, every decision made by his parents and medical team prioritized the best interests of the child.
