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Nash Keen just turned one, but he is already a world record holder – and the "happiest baby you’ll meet," if you ask his parents.
Born on July 5, 2024, at the University of Iowa Heath Care Stead Family Children's Hospital, Nash was 133 days early, at only 21 weeks gestation. Doctors told his parents, Mollie and Randall, that he would not survive. No baby born that early ever had.
At birth, Nash weighed only 10 ounces and was only 9.5 inches long. His parents were not able to hold him until he was three weeks old, and Mollie told Guinness World Records he was so small she could "barely even feel him on my chest."
On Nash's first birthday, he was officially recognized as the "most premature baby" by Guinness World Records. He beat the previous record, set by Curtis Zy-Keith Means in 2020, by just a single day.
After Nash was born, he was immediately rushed to the NICU at the University of Iowa's hospital, which would be his home for the next six months. His doctor told Guinness World Records that Nash's extremely tiny size made him even more complicated than a "typical" premature baby.
"Babies born this early require highly specialized care, constant surveillance and frequent monitoring – every hour can make a difference," said Dr. Amy Stanford, a neonatologist at the University of Iowa.
“While Nash faced many critical challenges early on, he showed remarkable resilience. After those first few extremely delicate weeks, he began to make steady progress, which was truly extraordinary to witness," she said.
Heart-stealer!
Against all odds, Nash began to hit milestones in development, and in January 2025, he went home from the hospital. While he still has regular checkups and intensive therapies, his mother says that he is a "local celebrity" and is loved by all who meet him.
“Nash isn’t just a record breaker – he’s a heart-stealer,” Mollie told Guinness World Records. “From the very beginning, our family and friends rallied behind him, and as his story spread, so did the love."
The Keens will continue to share their son's story as he grows up, as a way to "give hope to other families walking hard medical roads and to show what’s possible even in the most uncertain circumstances," said Mollie.
"The attention has always come from a place of love and support, and for that, we’re incredibly grateful.”
