This week, the University of Iowa Staed Family Children’s Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) presented to the House Health and Human Services Committee regarding the remarkable life-saving care they provide to Iowa’s babies. The UI NICU continues to break records saving our most vulnerable children. Recently it was announced that Nash Keen from Ankeny, IA turned one-year old, making him the Guinness World Records titleholder for most premature baby with being born at 21-weeks gestation. Nash was born at just 10 ounces and after 189 days in the hospital, was able to go home in January 2025.
Within the last year, UIHC also announced that the tiniest preemie in the U.S. was discharged and able to go to her home in Solon, IA. Evelyn Eilers was born at 8.46 ounces, making her one of three tied for third-smallest in the world. After 7 months of care at UIHC, she was able to go home weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces.
These remarkable children show the importance of life and how science continues to improve in saving children earlier and earlier. The state of Iowa is incredibly fortunate to have the health care providers at UIHC’s NICU that have the highest survival rate for extremely preterm infants in North America.
The below chart shows how UI’s survival rate for all gestational ages of the infants compare to all other hospitals:
