When is a fetus viable

But you wouldn't put an adult through that. You wouldn't put an animal through it. If an adult required that level of medical intervention then someone would be taking the family aside and suggesting gently that the machines are switched off. Pearce had no warning of her own premature birth, brought about by a sudden complication in the pregnancy, a placental abruption, and had none of the risk factors — she doesn't drink or smoke, isn't obese and her first son, Dominick, now five, was born at full term.

All I could say was if he comes out and he's not looking good, let him go. But if he comes out looking as though he is up to facing the process, and at that stage I had no idea what those processes would be, then please save him. My key thing was suffering. That was the only thing I was sure about in my head. They said 'No, no, he won't suffer' but I know now that's not true: they do suffer.

She is keen to stress that she feels no resentment over the way she was treated by the medical staff. I think they all have the same questions about what they are doing every day: 'Are we doing the right thing? Just because we can, should we? So I don't feel betrayed in any way, but I feel it was obvious what the outcome would be.

I remember when I was taken to the incubator to see him for the first time. I was howling and wailing, I thought it was so unnatural, so hideous, it didn't look right.

When you give birth, it's a natural process and this wasn't like that. Strange birth, choices to be made, difficult bonding. I had to wait six weeks to hold my son and when I did he was still attached to a ventilator and I had many nurses around me.

It was all so clinical. An advocate or counsellor figure would, she feels, help the mother think more clearly about the situation. It's a fine balance, overloading pregnant mums — after all, you can't prevent a premature birth. Social aspects Greatly increased advances in perinatal medicine lead on one hand to a high quality of care expected and demanded by both the health care professionals and patients, but on the other hand the resources available for responding to the expectations and demands are becoming increasingly stretched.

Even in the high-income countries, the available resources are scarce in relation to these demands a high quality of care expected and demanded by both the health care professionals and patients, but on the other hand the resources available for responding to the expectations and demands are becoming increasingly stretched.

Medical aspects During the preconceptional period the most important actions are: family planning, education, analysis of previous obstetrical miscarriages and prevention of congenital malformations folic acid. Pregnancy presents several problems, which can significantly influence fetal viability. Proper management of these problems can improve perinatal outcome.

Among others prevention of prematurity is the most important goal of contemporary perinatal medicine. Enhancement of fetal viability There are several possibilities to enhance fetal viability.

About 40 percent of these preemies will suffer long-term health complications because they were born prematurely. Survival rates for infants born at 28 weeks gestation is between percent. Babies born at 28 weeks old only have a 10 percent chance of having long-term health problems. Their chance of dying during infancy and childhood is also very low. Babies who are born after 34 weeks gestation have the same long-term health outcomes as babies who are delivered at full term 40 weeks.

In long-term follow-up, these infants do very well and usually are as healthy as non-preemies. On average, doctors recommend preemies stay in the NICU until three to four weeks before what their regular due date would have been. If we can work with you to delay your delivery by as little as one or two weeks, you baby will have a much higher chance of staying healthy as they grow.

Researchers and obstetricians have studied for years if women can do anything to prevent preterm labor. Because of this, no one intervention or treatment can prevent all preterm births. Recent studies have shown that treatment with a hormone named progesterone can lower the rate of preterm birth by as much as 30—50 percent.

Progesterone is a steroid hormone. Pregnant women naturally produce this hormone on their own. Home Pregnancy Pregnancy week-by-week 13 to 27 weeks pregnant Back to 13 to 27 weeks pregnant. You and your baby at 24 weeks pregnant. Your baby at 24 weeks By the time you're 24 weeks pregnant, the baby has a chance of survival if they are born.

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