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Premature babies surviving in neonatal units at ever-increasing rates

155 NHS neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in England support 50,000 babies every year. One in eight of the babies admitted to these units are born prematurely, before 37 weeks. The youngest of these can be born at just 22 weeks gestation, and their chances of survival have significantly improved in recent years.

Babies born extremely premature (before 27 weeks) need constant care to ensure their survival. Many of these babies are unable to breathe without a ventilator because their lungs cannot yet operate properly. 

Care for such babies remains very complicated. One paediatrician explains that “With these babies born at 250g or 300g, their skin is transparent. It’s wafer-thin … You can see their internal organs. You touch them and they bleed … any intervention you do is traumatic to the patient and by extension to the member of staff doing it”.

Age for intervention lowered to 22 weeks gestation

Until 2019, babies who were born before 23 weeks gestation were not considered viable. As such, doctors would not intervene to provide care for such babies. 

However, in 2019, the British Association of Perinatal Medicine released a new framework for babies born before 27 weeks gestation. It is now recommended that doctors can intervene and provide treatment from 22 weeks, if deemed appropriate. 

Dr Helen Mactier, President of the British Association of Perinatal Medicine and Consultant Neonatologist at the Princess Royal Maternity in Glasgow, said the updated guidance “aligns recommended clinical practice with the most up-to-date science, ensuring that advice to parents is consultative, consistent and evidence-based”.

“We’ve got better at keeping extremely premature babies alive and we know clinicians are increasingly willing to consider survival-focused care for the most extremely premature babies”.

Around-the-clock care for babies in the NICU

Whilst technology has played a large role in improving survival rates for these tiny babies, the human touch is still needed. 

Neena Modi, a professor of neonatal medicine at Imperial College London and consultant at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital said “They need constant attention … With the best equipment in the world, you still need a nurse to provide that constant attention”.

It can also be emotionally taxing for all involved. Many parents have discussed the challenges of having a baby born prematurely and then treated in the NICU. Staff also report the toll that it can take, knowing that sometimes the babies will not survive. 

In March last year, baby Isla was born 18 weeks early and given only a 10% chance of survival. 18 months on, she’s thriving at home with her parents.

Showcasing the value of the smallest lives

Right To Life UK spokesperson, Catherine Robinson, said “The tireless work of the nurses and doctors in these neonatal intensive care units showcases the precious value of the lives of babies born prematurely”.

“Some of these babies are even born before the UK time limit for abortion. The fact that babies born as early as 22 weeks are surviving and that medical guidelines reflect this shows that the UK government needs to urgently review the abortion law so that it, too, recognises the value of the smallest lives”.

Dear reader,

You may be surprised to learn that our 24-week abortion time limit is out of line with the majority of European Union countries, where the most common time limit for abortion on demand or on broad social grounds is 12 weeks gestation.

The latest guidance from the British Association of Perinatal Medicine enables doctors to intervene to save premature babies from 22 weeks. The latest research indicates that a significant number of babies born at 22 weeks gestation can survive outside the womb, and this number increases with proactive perinatal care.

This leaves a real contradiction in British law. In one room of a hospital, doctors could be working to save a baby born alive at 23 weeks whilst, in another room of that same hospital, a doctor could perform an abortion that would end the life of a baby at the same age.

The majority of the British population support reducing the time limit. Polling has shown that 70% of British women favour a reduction in the time limit from 24 weeks to 20 weeks or below.

Please click the button below to sign the petition to the Prime Minister, asking him to do everything in his power to reduce the abortion time limit.