The owner of the record-breaking quadruplets—who are acknowledged by Guinness World Records—for being the fastest, celebrated their first birthday on May 31, 2025. This was a significant milestone that once seemed unattainable. Born prematurely at just 23 weeks and four days at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital, the Bryant quadruplets—Rainey, Kari, Lennon, and Korn—defied incredible odds to reach their first year of life.
The babies were delivered via an emergency caesarean section in the early hours of May 31, 2024. A team of around 30 maternal-fetal and neonatology specialists sprang into action when Becca Bryant, who was under high-risk monitoring, started showing infection signs after an early rupture of membranes.
“When Rainey, Kari, Lennon, and Korn were born, they were 115 days premature,” Becca said. “A year later, we were celebrating surrounded by family and friends. It was a moment we never thought we would witness.”
Brians, from Auburn, Alabama, first learned about expecting quadruplets during a February 2024 ultrasound. Initially anticipating one baby, they were shocked when the technician counted four heartbeats. It was later determined that Becca was experiencing trichorionic quadruple amnion—an extremely rare condition occurring in about one in seven million pregnancies.
Dr. Ayodeji Sanusi, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at UAB, explained that this unusual scenario involves three fertilized eggs, with one splitting to create identical twins along with another sibling. Such a complex pregnancy demands intense monitoring, and Becca was hospitalized at UAB for about 19 weeks due to issues that increased the risk of preterm labor.
The aim was to delay birth until at least 28-32 weeks, but after complications arose at 23 weeks, Becca’s condition worsened rapidly. Signs of infection required an emergency delivery, with all four babies arriving within five minutes between 2:15 a.m. and 2:20 a.m.
After their birth, the babies were taken to UAB’s Level IV Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (RNICU) and enrolled in the hospital’s Golden Week program.
“The highest risk of complications and mortality for very premature infants occurs during that first week,” said Dr. Colm Travers, head of the Golden Week program. “We focus on minimizing complications during this critical time, as it significantly increases the chances of survival and returning home.”
Each baby faced serious health challenges, including cerebral hemorrhages and chronic pulmonary diseases, and required extensive support. After spending five months in intensive care, the quadruplets moved to UAB’s continuous care nursery, and by December 2024, they were all healthy enough to come home just in time for Christmas.
As they continued to grow stronger, doctors looked into whether other quadruplets born prematurely had survived without similar cases being found. This situation confirmed that the Bryant quadruplets indeed set a new Guinness World Record.
“It makes you realize how lucky they are to have made it through,” Becca reflected.
On their first birthday, Lainey and Korn continued to use nasal cannulas, while Lennon was still reliant on G-tubes for feeding. The family maintains close contact with UAB’s follow-up clinic and Alabama’s pediatric specialists to monitor their children’s ongoing development.
“I think it really demonstrates the high-quality care we provide at UAB,” Sanusi commented. “This showcases how effectively the team works together across different specialties, leading to a world record that, honestly, wasn’t even a goal.”
