what is the earliest a baby can be born and survive

According to the University of Utah Health, in general, infants that are born very early are not considered to be viable until after 24 weeks gestation. This means that if a baby is born before they are 24 weeks old, their chance of surviving is usually less than 50 percent. However, some infants are born before 24 weeks gestation and do survive, but these infants have a very high chance of severe long-term health problems. The Guinness World Records officially named Curtis Means, born at 21 weeks and one day at UAB Hospital, the most premature infant to survive. The survival rate for 24-week-old infants is between 60 and 70 percent. However, the care that can now be given in neonatal units means more and more babies born early do survive.