Family & Life

Swedish Researchers Find More Premature Babies Surviving : 15th Jun 09

The chances of survival have improved greatly for premature babies, even those born extremely early, new Swedish research reveals. About 70 percent of babies born alive between 22 and 26 weeks’ gestation in Sweden now live past the age of one, largely thanks to medical intervention.

But the authors say their study (in the Journal of the American Medical Association) does not answer the bigger ethical question about intervention. They looked at all infants born before 27 weeks in Sweden during 2004-2007.

The overall perinatal death rate was 45 percent, meaning more than half of the 1,011 babies who were born survived. Some babies died before birth, and some during or just after birth. Of the 707 live-born infants, 70 percent were still alive at the end of the study’s year-long observation period, a much higher percentage than earlier studies have reported.

Analysis revealed that the danger of death around the time of birth and in the first year after birth was greater in the most premature babies. Medical interventions did appear to make a big difference in the odds of survival, and probably explain why Sweden had such an impressive record. Babies born at hospitals with the best intensive care facilities and expertise, and where the babies received active treatment —something commonplace in Sweden—were far more likely to survive. BBC. June 3.

Send this news story to a friend

Family & Life

Swedish Researchers Find More Premature Babies Surviving : 15th Jun 09

Recent Topics