The earliest a baby has been born and survived is 21 weeks and 5 days. Two babies born prematurely hold the record for this. Surprisingly, the first record holder was born in 1987, at a time when the medical care of premature babies (neonatology) was a very new field. However, this is well before the accepted age of viability.

James Elgin Gill was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on May 20, 1987, around 128 days early or 21 weeks gestation. He set a record when he was born for the world's most premature baby.

Curtis Zy-Keith Means, now 16 months old, has set a new world record for the world’s most premature baby to survive. Curtis’ mom, Michelle Butler, gave birth on July 5, 2020 at 21 weeks at the University of Alabama at Birmingham hospital (UAB).

Curtis Means came into the world on 25 July 2020 at only 21 weeks and one day of gestation. Now a healthy 16-month-old, Curtis has been declared the new record holder for surviving premature babies by Guinness World Records and University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital on Wednesday.

Guinness World Records – The most premature baby to survive is Curtis Zy-Keith Means (U.S.A.) who was born to Michelle Butler on 5 July 2020 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital in Alabama, U.S.A. at a gestational age of 21 weeks 1 day or 148 days, making him 132 days premature.