In August 2016, a sensational message appeared in the People’s Daily (China’s most popular newspaper).
A young Chinese woman Wang Shi from Hunan Province gave birth to a healthy baby after 17 (yes, seventeen!) months of pregnancy.
In a matter of days, the news spread around the world and many media outlets were full of headlines: “Sensation of the century!”, “This is a new achievement for the Guinness Book of Records!”.
And after them, most gynecologists from the world’s leading clinics called this news “an ordinary newspaper duck” and made devastating comments.
So, what did happen in China: a sensation or a forgery? Let’s try to figure it out.
Gynecologists and obstetricians who examined Van did not find any signs of a close birth.
When, according to Wang Shi’s calculations, the 14th month had already passed, journalists became interested in the unusual patient.
“I am very ashamed that I have been pregnant for so long.
My husband and I have already spent a lot of money on examinations and tests.
I still hope that I will give birth next month,” Wang said in an interview.
But the long-awaited baby was born only on August.
Surprisingly, the child weighed only 3.8 kg.
And all the other indicators were also within the normal range.
Until now, the American Bela Hunter, who carried the baby for 375 days or 12.5 months, was considered the record holder.
And representatives of Guinness World Records were already preparing to make a corresponding entry in their famous book.
But doctors got in the way of Wang Shi’s fame.
“We know all the information about the beginning of pregnancy only from the words of a woman.
She said her period stopped in February. But they could have stopped for other reasons,” a gynecologist who observed Wang Shi told reporters.
In addition, it turned out that the expectant mother had never had an ultrasound during all this time.
So the doctors had to determine the timing “the old-fashioned way” purely visually.
Thus, Wang Shi’s attempt to become a world record holder ended in complete failure.
Although she still managed to visit the pages of all the world’s tabloids.
