MN Baby Who Set World Record for ‘Most Premature’ Turns One

My son Charlie was five weeks premature but luckily didn't have to spend any time in the NICU. Instead, we had a longer hospital stay and he spent the first few days of his life with a feeding tube in his nose and slept in an incubator.

It was terrifying for a new mother. I can't imagine what it must have been like for the Minnesota mom who gave birth to the world's most premature baby last year...during a global pandemic.

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According to Guinness World Records, Beth Hutchinson gave birth to her son Richard on June 5, 2020. The baby boy was born about 4 months early and only weighed 11.9 ounces.

Initially, Richard was given a zero percent survival rate. My heart breaks for his parents, Beth and Rick, just reading that. The Guinness World Records claims that the baby was 131 days premature--WOW! The medical field has really come such a long way!

He was so small that his entire body could fit into the palm of his parents' hands. Online photos show Richard's tiny hand holding his mom's finger. His entire hand looks to be about the size of his mother's fingernail.

He was able to finally go home when he was about 6 months old. Today, Richard is officially a one-year-old toddler with a pretty big title for such a tiny little guy.

This is such a great story of overcoming huge obstacles and what a happy ending! You can read more about Richard and his story here.