Survival Rates

There's an interesting piece of research just been published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood and reported on the BBC website looking at survival rates of very preemie babies. The research indicates that despite greater medical intervention and slightly longer survival time, the actual survival rates for babies born before 24 weeks has stayed essentially the same. For these pre-24 weekers, 20% survive, often with disabilities, and this despite increased levels of resuscitation and other interventions. This is in contrast to those born at 24 and 25 weeks where survival rates are continuing to increase.

Clearly this findings are important and interesting from a medical point of view. Equally they will no doubt be used in the abortion/pro-life politicking debate, the gestation times discussed coming as they do right around the abortion limit. Does this mean that we have reached the limit of what medicine can do for the most premature babies? That their organs simply cannot cope despite the very best medical care? Possibly. But my view is that such sweeping statements are dangerous certainly for policy making. As Andy Cole, Chief Executive of Bliss said in response to the work,

it is always important that these babies' treatment and care options are considered on an individual basis

In our experience of having a 26 weeker, we certainly had the ups and downs in his first few months but ultimately we have been incredibly lucky and he is surpassing our expectations (and moved into his own bed at the weekend!). At the same time, we saw the other side when parents of longer gestation (and even term) babies experienced complications and difficulties they never dreamt would affect their babies. They are truly individual little beings!