At birth, Richard Scott William Hutchinson weighed around one tenth of the average newborn baby.
All the numbers relating to the premature baby were extremely worrying: 131 days too early, only around 340 grams light with a body length of 26 centimeters.
And then there was the number the doctors used to estimate the boy's chances of overbeating: zero.
CNN cites these values with reference to Guiness World Records, which Richard officially registered for his first birthday.
He is considered to be the earliest born child to survive, according to Guiness.
Richard celebrated his first birthday on June 5th.
Mother Beth had given birth to him a year earlier in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The calculated date of birth would have been October 13, but medical complications with the mother made the earlier birth necessary.
"In the first consultation, the parents were told that the chances of survival with such an early birth go to zero," said Richards attending physician Stacy Kern to Guiness World Records.
“I knew Richard's first few weeks would be very difficult.
But if he could do that, he would survive. "
The pandemic made things more complicated
Because of the corona pandemic, the parents could not stay in the hospital, but commuted daily to be with the newborn.
In December 2020 Richard finally went home, six months after he was born.
For his first birthday there was not only a large cake, but also a certificate from Guiness World Records.
"It still feels unreal," Mother Beth said of the record.
She wants to use the media attention to encourage other parents of premature babies.
Richard still needs medical assistance, including breathing.
But according to the doctors, he could soon do without these devices.
Mother Beth: “We're working on it, but it will take time.
He's already made it this far. "
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