The Viability of Extremely Premature Infants in the Past Decade

In a U.K. study, survival rates of infants born at 24 and 25 weeks increased during the past decade, but rates remained low for infants born at younger gestational ages.

The AAP states that the healthcare team and parents should work together to decide whether to initiate or withdraw care during high-risk deliveries. Intensive care should be initiated or continued only if an infant will benefit from the treatment. Many countries have used 24 weeks as the cutoff for viability of life, but, in some instances, resuscitation might be initiated in younger infants if gestational age is in question. In a prospective cohort study, investigators in the U.K. compared survival rates among infants born at 22 to 25 weeks’ gestation at 16 hospitals in one health region during two 5-year periods (1994–1999 and 2000–2005).

The number of live infants at the onset of labor was 339,774 in 1994–1999 and 317,473 in 2000–2005. Th…

Reviewing Author

Robin Drucker, MD