A new study says many extremely premature infants now have a better chance of surviving without major problems. Still, odds remain poor for the tiniest, born nearly four months early.
The researchers reviewed 1993 through 2012 hospital records for nearly 35,000 extreme preemies born at academic centers involved in a National Institutes of Health research network. The findings may not reflect outcomes at other hospitals.
Included infants were born at 22 weeks to 28 weeks of pregnancy, weighing about 14 ounces to just over 3 pounds. Normal pregnancies last 39 to 40 weeks.
Among preemies born in 1993, 70 percent survived until hospital discharge, versus 79 percent in 2012; rates varied by gestational age.
The study was published in Tuesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association.
Associated Press