The world’s most premature baby who was born five months early and given no chance of survival has celebrated his first birthday.
Weighing less than a pound, Richard Scott William Hutchinson was born five months prematurely last year. The one-year-old fighter belongs to the US state of Minnesota and has surprised the neonatal specialists with his extraordinary willpower.
The Guinness Book of Records has recognized Richard as the world’s most premature baby born at just 21 weeks gestation. Beth and Rick Hutchinson, parents of the baby, welcomed him into the world on June 5, 2020.
Richard’s mother Beth, from Minneapolis, US, was due to deliver her baby on October 13, 2020. However, some unexpected complications in the pregnancy lead her to labour several months ahead of her due delivery date.
Beth’s Husband Rick Hutchinson held detailed and intensive discussions with the doctors for the safety of his wife and unborn child. Finally, a plan was chalked out and they agreed to deliver Richard and do everything in their hands to ensure his survival.
The delivery was successful and Richard was born 131 days before the expected due date. He weighed just 11.9 ounces and was so tiny that his parents could hold him in a single palm of their hands.
Dr Stacy Kern, Richard’s neonatologist at Children’s Minnesota told Guinness World Records that she expected the first few weeks of Richard’s life to be very difficult but also believed he could survive.
“When Rick and Beth received prenatal counselling on what to expect with a baby born so early, they were given a zero per cent chance of survival by our neonatology team.”
After spending the first half of his life in an incubator in the hospital, Richard was finally able to go home with his family in December 2020. The survivor baby continued to fight for his right to live and got to celebrate his first birthday on 5 June 2021, making it to the Guinness World Records.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Beth, the fighter mother of fighter baby said about Richard breaking the record.
“We’re still surprised about it. But we’re happy. It’s a way we can share his story to raise awareness about premature births.”
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