In August 2016, a shocking message appeared in the People’s Daily, China’s most popular newspaper. Wang Shi, a young Chinese mother from Hunan Province, gave birth to a healthy baby after 17 months of pregnancy. In a matter of days, the story spread throughout the world, and many media sites were full of headlines like “Sensation of the Century!” and “This is a new Guinness World Record!”

Following them, most gynecologists from the world’s finest clinics described the news as “an ordinary newspaper duck” and made harsh remarks. So, what exactly happened in China: a sensation or a forgery? Let us try to figure it out. Gynecologists and obstetricians who examined Van found no evidence of a near birth. When Wang Shi’s calculations indicated that the 14th month had gone, journalists got interested in the odd patient.”I feel mortified to have been pregnant for so long.

My spouse and I have already spent a great deal of money on exams and tests. “I still hope to give birth next month,” Wang stated in an interview. However, the long-awaited kid was only born in August. Surprisingly, the child weighed just 3.8 kg. All other indications were similarly within normal limits. Until today, the American Bela Hunter held the record for carrying a baby for 375 days, or 12.5 months.

Representatives from Guinness World Records were already planning to include a comparable entry in their famous book. However, doctors hampered Wang Shi’s rise to popularity.”All we know about the onset of pregnancy comes from a woman’s statements. She stated that her period stopped in February. However, they could have stopped for other reasons,” a gynecologist who witnessed Wang Shi told journalists.

Furthermore, it was discovered that the expecting mother had never had an ultrasound during her whole pregnancy. So the doctors had to determine the timing “the old-fashioned way”—purely visually. Thus, Wang Shi’s attempt to set a world record was a complete failure. Despite this, she managed to visit the pages of all of the world’s tabloids.