Limit of viability

The limit of viability is the gestational age at which a prematurely born fetus/infant has a 50% chance of longterm survival outside its mother's womb. With the support of neonatal intensive care units, the limit of viability in the developed world has declined since 50 years ago, but has remained unchanged in the last 12 years. [cite news |author=Fergus Walsh |title=Prem baby survival rates revealed |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7340288.stm |date=11 April 2008 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=2008-05-11] [cite news |title=Early baby survival 'unchanged' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7390522.stm |date=9 May 2008 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=2008-05-11] Currently the limit of viability is considered to be around 24 weeks although the incidence of major disabilities remains high at this point.cite journal |author=Kaempf JW, Tomlinson M, Arduza C, "et al" |title=Medical staff guidelines for periviability pregnancy counseling and medical treatment of extremely premature infants |journal=Pediatrics |volume=117 |issue=1 |pages=22–9 |year=2006 |pmid=16396856 |doi=10.1542/peds.2004-2547 |url=http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/117/1/22 - in particular see [http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content-nw/full/117/1/22/T1 TABLE 1 Survival and Neurologic Disability Rates Among Extremely Premature Infants] ] cite journal |author=Morgan MA, Goldenberg RL, Schulkin J |title=Obstetrician-gynecologists' practices regarding preterm birth at the limit of viability |journal=J. Matern. Fetal. Neonatal. Med. |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=115–21 |year=2008 |pmid=18240080 |doi=10.1080/14767050701866971] Neonatologists generally would not provide intensive care at 23 weeks, but would from 26 weeks.cite journal |author=Vavasseur C, Foran A, Murphy JF |title=Consensus statements on the borderlands of neonatal viability: from uncertainty to grey areas |journal=Ir Med J |volume=100 |issue=8 |pages=561–4 |year=2007 |pmid=17955714 |doi= |quote=All would provide intensive care at 26 weeks and most would not at 23 weeks. The grey area is 24 and 25 weeks gestation. This group of infants constitute 2 per 1000 births.] [Kaempf "et al" (2006) [http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content-nw/full/117/1/22/F2 Table of neonatologists rescussitation advice] showing gestation ages at which they have neutral poistions whether they would or would not recommend rescussitation.]

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