World's Most Premature Baby Born at 21 Weeks Celebrates 1st Birthday

World's Most Premature Baby Born at 21 Weeks Celebrates 1st Birthday

  • Richard Scott William was born prematurely and beat all the odds to make it to his first birthday
  • Little Richard was born 131 days earlier than his due date, weighing 337 grams
  • He went ahead to earn an entry into the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most premature baby

Richard Scott William Hutchinson was born five months prematurely, so young that he was given zero chances of survival.

Richard was born at the Children's Minnesota hospital in Minneapolis in 2020.
Richard Scott William recently celebrated his first birthday after pulling through a near-impossible survival. Photos: CNN.
Source: UGC

The lucky baby recently celebrated his first birthday surrounded by family members, as reported by CNN.

Born Prematurely

Richard's delivery was forced after his mother Beth Hutchinson went into a medical emergency that led to premature labour.

After staying for six months in the nursery at the Children's Minnesota hospital in Minneapolis, the little one was deemed fit enough for discharge.

"I remember picking him up out of his crib and just holding him with tears in my eyes," Kern relived the memorable day Richard was discharged from the hospital.

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Born at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was impossible for Richard's parents to spend nights with him at the hospital, so they were forced to travel daily from St Croix County to Minneapolis.

Richard was delivered 131 days prior to the expected due date and weighed a mere 337 grams, less than half a kilogram.

According to the parents, the little one's skin was so translucent that every rib and vessel in his body was visible.

Guinness Book of Records

After beating all odds, Richard was recognized in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most premature baby.

A statement from Guinness indicates that he was so tiny that his parents could hold him in a single palm of their hands.

"When Rick and Beth received prenatal counselling on what to expect with a baby born so early, they were given a 0% chance of survival by our neonatology team," Dr Stacy Kern revealed to Guinness World Records.

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Beth underpinned that she is still surprised her son broke such a record and is doing well.

She added that Richard's phenomenal story will be used to raise awareness about premature births.

Source: YEN.com.gh

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