Most premature baby ever born who had less than 1% survival chance celebrates 4th birthday

Curtis
Zy-Keith
Means
from
the
United
States
is
the
most
premature
baby
ever
born
at
just
21
weeks
1
day
gestational
age.

Curtis
was
born
132
days
premature
on
July
5
2020
at
the
University
of
Alabama
at
Birmingham
(UAB)
Hospital
in
Alabama.

At
his
birth,
doctors
predicted
that
he
had
less
than
1%
chance
of
survival
but
unimaginably,
Curtis
is
thriving
and
celebrates
his
fourth
birthday
today
(July
5).

An
article
published
by
the
Guinness
World
Records
indicated
that
Curtis
weighed
just
420
g
(14.8
oz)
when
he
was
born,
a
weight
equivalent
to
that
of
an
American
football.

Curtis
is
reported
to
have
spent
the
first
nine
months
of
his
life
in
the
Neonatal
Intensive
Care
Unit.
However,
his
twin
sister,
C’Aysa
did
not
survive
and
tragically
passed
away.

The
Guinness
World
Records
subsequently
awarded
Curtis
with
the
Most
Premature
baby
to
ever
survive.

Curtis
was
born
just
over
halfway
through
the
standard
gestational
period
for
a
full-term
pregnancy,
which
is
40
weeks
(280
days).

He
now
weighs
33
lb
(14.9
kg)
at
age
four.
Curtis’
mum,
Michelle
told
the
GWR
that
the
lad
loves
playing
with
his
toys
and
watching
his
favourite
cartoon,
Mickey
Mouse.

A
recent
photo
of
Curtis
show
him
posing
with
his
GWR
certificate,
a
moment
which
recalls
how
far
Curtis
has
come
compared
to
when
he
was
born.

In
an
interview
with
the
GWR,
Michelle
spoke
about
her
pregnancy:
“Everything
was
going
good.
I
thought
I
was
going
to
carry
them
all
the
way
up
until
my
due
date.”

Brian
Sims,
a
professor
of
paediatrics
at
the
UAB
Division
of
Neonatology,
said
Curtis’
birth
“was
a
complete
shock”.

“I
was
called
by
my
obstetrical
colleagues
that
Curtis’s
mom
was
in
the
labour
and
delivery
and
she
was
precipitously
about
to
deliver,
and
they
wanted
me
to
go
in
and
talk
to
her
about
the
poor
prognosis
of
babies
being
born
at
21
weeks
and
one
day.”

During
these
periods,
it
was
a
stressful
for
Michelle
as
she
was
kept
in
the
hospital
for
four
days
after
giving
birth
to
Curtis.

Curtis
on
the
other
was
also
put
in
a
ventilator
for
three
months
and
he
needed
support
to
help
him
breathe
and
medications
for
his
heart
and
lungs.

He
remained
on
a
nasal
cannula
for
oxygen
when
he
returned
home.

Mr
Sims
recalled:
“When
Curtis
was
discharged,
there
was
much
excitement
in
the
unit.

“Curtis
was
a
special
young
man
and
there
was
something
unique
about
him.”

He
added:
“[Michelle]
made
the
first
campaign
for
Curtis
to
be
alive.
She
was
a
champion
for
her
baby,
she
spoke
up
for
her
baby
and
I’m
so
thankful
that
we
listened
to
her.”

Michelle
said
that
Curtis
setting
the
record
was
a
“blessing”
and
that
she’s
“very
proud”
of
how
far
he’s
come.