An Alabama baby boy has been named the most premature infant to ever survive after celebrating his first birthday earlier this year.
Curtis Zy-Keith Means was born on July 5, 2020, only 21 weeks and one day into his mother's pregnancy.
He weighed 14.8 ounces - just under one pound - and required intensive medical treatment to survive and safely go home with his parents.
Curtis pulled through and was recently honored by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most premature baby to ever survive.
Curtis Means (pictured) is the most premature baby to every survive, being born at only 21 weeks and one day into his mothers pregnancy term
Means (pictured on his mother's chest) was only 14.8 ounces upon his birth
'Survival at this gestational age has never happened before, so before Curtis was born his chances of survival would have been far less than one percent,' Dr Colm Travers, a professor in the neonatology division of the University of Alabama. Birmingham, where Curtis was born.
Michelle Butler, Curtis mother, was not expecting to have her child prematurely until she suddenly required hospital treatment on July 4 for an unknown reason.
Her son was born a day later and, because of his low weight and severe prematurity, doctors feared he was not going to live.
'The medical staff told me that they don't normally keep babies at that age,' Butler told Guinness World Records.
Means (pictured) required intensive hospital treatment for 275 days in order to survive, though doctors report that he responded well to treatment
Means (pictured) turned one years old in July, marking an incredible milestone in his life
Only around half of babies born before 24 weeks of pregnancy survive, and babies born before 22 weeks rarely, if ever, live for very long.
A full pregnancy term is considered to be around 40 weeks, and any baby born before 37 weeks is considered premature.
Babies who are born premature are often smaller, and often suffer from lung issues because those are the last vital organs that develop in the womb.
They are also more likely to be born with intestinal, hearing, vision or dental problems.
Butler also gave birth to a twin sister, C'Asya, who unfortunately died after only one day.
Curtis responded well to treatment and slowly grew and gained strength over time.
'He showed initially that he responded to oxygen, his heart rate went up, his numbers went up…' Dr Brian Sims, the attending physician for Curtis, said in a statement.
'He was giving us a lot of positive feedback that…he wanted to survive.'
Curtis's ability to survive, despite how small and fragile, he was at the time
