how early can babies born too soon survive at ? (this article does contain upsetting news please press your back button if it is likely to cause you any distress thankyou)
As of the year 2022 technology and treatments have come on leaps and bounds for tiny babies born too soon. Babies from 22 weeks can now survive. The hospitals policies may vary from hospital to hospital as to weather they will intervene. they will assess each child as it is delivered to see if it shows any sign of life. Quality of care is then decided upon on an individual basis. Having said that the viability cut of age is usually 24 weeks.
The normal pregnancy period is of forty weeks. When a woman is twenty-four weeks pregnant, the baby is developing quickly. Mother can feel baby’s movements more intensely and frequently. baby 24 weeks is very fragile and small. The brain, heart, and lungs of premature baby 24 weeks are not developed completely.
Baby’s lungs are developed during this time but they cannot function in the outside world by this time due to lack of surfactant. baby 24 weeks can survive and yet some do die afterwards due to the trauma of the delivery. Brain bleeds being most common. This happens because they are unable to tolerate the stress of birth.
A Premature baby 24 weeks can survive if given proper treatment. These babies can be given intensive treatment or comfort care depending upon the baby’s condition.
If intensive treatment is given to the baby 24 weeks, then the doctors will insert a breathing tube in the nose or mouth of the baby. The baby will be taken to the neonatal ICU.
The newborn team will care for the infant. They will wrap the baby to keep him warm. An oxygen mask will be given to the baby for keeping his breathing continuous and inflating the baby’s lungs. They will also be given some medications for keeping the lungs of the baby in working condition. The survival chance after intensive treatment is only fifty percent.
baby 24 weeks gestation can be touch and go for babies born this early doctors can also decide to give comfort care to the baby 24 weeks if they feel an infant is not viable.. This infant will be dried carefully and wrapped. This treatment intends to make the short life of the baby comfortable. In this case, doctors will not use such treatments that cannot help the baby. Its often called comfort care.
The infant is not given any invasive care.
What are the survival rates for babies born at 24 weeks?
baby 24 weeks will not always survive because their vital organs including lungs are not developed completely by this time.
Factors that influence a life or death situation is infection, it is another sad reason babies born this young can pass away.
Some babies that are born before 24 week survive but they suffer long-lasting health-related problems. Rates of survival differ depending upon the interventions a hospital provides. In the UK 60 % of babies that are born at 24 weeks survive. However, the babies that survive have a higher risk of complications. A baby 24 weeks’ birth is more susceptible after delivery may suffer many health problems that include anxiety, spectrum disorder, asthma, autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and cognitive impairments.
Premature birth at 24 weeks of gestation occurs because of many reasons. Many of these premature births occur spontaneously. However, some births occur due to early induction of birth because of some non-medical or medical reasons.
The common causes of premature birth include infections, fetal or maternal stress, vaginal bleeding, genetic influence, over-distension of the uterus, substance abuse, smoking, poor nutrition, no prenatal care, conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and multiple pregnancies. In some cases, it has an idiopathic cause.
However, the most common reason for preterm birth at 24 weeks of gestation is inflammation or infection. Viruses or bacteria infect the bladder, uterus, vagina, or other parts of the mother which results in preterm birth.
Approximate stay in the maternity unit for babies born at 24 weeks is a stay of at least 16 weeks.