Updated at: 1606 PST, Monday, September 06, 2010
BOGOTA: A 24-year-old Colombian has taken the title of the world's shortest man, measuring just 27 ins high (70cm) – slightly taller than the height restrictions for a piece of carry-on aeroplane luggage.Edward Nino Hernandez weighs just 22lbs and has just been officially certified as the world's shortest living man by Guinness World Records.
"He hasn't grown since he was two years old," his mother, Noemi Hernandez, said of the oldest of her five living children.
The previous title-holder was He Pingping of China, who was 1.5 ins (4cm) taller and died March 13. The Guinness people discovered Nino afterward.
They say Mr Hernandez's reign is not likely to last long, however.
Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal is expected to take over after he turns 18 on Oct. 14. He measures about 22 ins (56cm) and is currently recognised by Guinness as the shortest living teenager.
Doctors never could explain why Mr Hernandez is so small, his parents say.
"They never gave us a diagnosis," Mrs Hernandez, said.
Mrs Hernandez, 43, who lives in Bogota, said her son weighed just 3.3lbs (1.5kgs) at birth and was 15 ins (38cm) long.
She said doctors at the National University studied him until he was three, then lost interest.
"I feel happy because I'm unique," Mr Hernandez said.
Mr Hernandez had to repeat several years of school before dropping out in the eighth grade. But he's very sociable, loves to travel – though he hasn't been outside Colombia – and likes to play dominoes.
"He only gets depressed when he's shut in at home," his mother said.
Leafing through an advance copy of the Guinness World Records 2011 edition, which launches Sept. 15 in the United States and the next day internationally, Mrs Hernandez shows her son a picture of the world's smallest woman, who is from India.
He's not interested in the least.
Mr Hernandez says he already has a girlfriend. She's 18, is named Fanny and measures just under 5ft (1.5m), he says.
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