by A Baby Boy Becomes World’s Most ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ To sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ After Being Born 20 Weeks Early, The Miracle Change After 1 Year
Twin Curtis Means, who is now a healthy 16-month-old, was delivered in Birmingham, Alabama, in the U.S, last year weighing jU.St 420g (less than a lb)
A boy has been certified as the most ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ baby to sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ after being born close to 20 weeks early weighing less than a pound. Twin Curtis Means, who is now a healthy 16-month-old, was delivered in Birmingham, Alabama, in the U.S, last year weighing jU.St 420g (less than a lb).
Guinness World Records has now confirmed that Curtis, who was 132 days – nearly 19 weeks – ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ, set the new record. His mother, Michelle Butler, scrambled to get to the hospital after being into labour on July 4 2020, amid Independence Day celebrations. Michelle gave birth to twins, Curtis and C’Asya, at lunchtime the next day.
Little C’Asya ᴛʀᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ ᴅɪᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴅᴀʏ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ. However, Curtis ʙᴇᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴅᴅs, clinging on in intensive care. Dr Brian Sims, who was the attending physician, said statistically, children born as young as the twins had virtually no chance of sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ.
In a statement from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which operates the hospital, Dr Sims said doctors typically advised “compassionate care” in situations of extremely ᴘʀᴇᴛᴇʀᴍ births.
This allows the parents to hold their babies and cherish what little time they may have together. But instead, Curtis grew stronger by the day and was thriving. He received help from ᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘɪsᴛs ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀʀɴ ᴛᴏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇ and to U.Se his mouth to eat, and after 274 days, was eventually taken off a ᴠᴇɴᴛɪʟᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪsᴄʜᴀʀɢᴇᴅ from hospital.
Mrs Butler, of rural Eutaw, Alabama, said in a statement: “Being able to finally take Curtis home and surprise my older children with their younger brother is a moment I will always remember.”
While Curtis, the youngest of four, still needs supplemental oxygen and a feeding tube, doctors say he is in good health. Dr Sims, who oversaw the delivery, told Guinness World Records: “I’ve been doing this almost 20 years, but I’ve never seen a baby this young be as strong as he was.
There was something special about Curtis.” Curtis cut a whole 24 hours off the previoU.S record.
Wisconsin baby Richard Hutchinson was born jU.St a month prior, at 21 weeks and two days.
The record had remained unbroken before Richard’s birth for 34 years, with the previoU.S record holder being a baby boy born in Ottawa, Canada, at 21 weeks and five days.
