Survival rate of premature babies

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist II Cao Thi Thanh - Pediatrician - Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
The survival rate of premature babies is assessed by doctors as from the time when the baby is resuscitated at birth and can survive without significant diseases and sequelae. In most cases, care for a premature baby is only fully successful when the baby reaches about 24 weeks of gestation.

1. What is a premature baby?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's national agreement, the classification of premature or preterm infants is defined in the following gestational week ranges:
Extremely preterm: Gestational age 28 weeks or less Very preterm infants: gestational age 32 weeks or less Medium preterm babies: 32 weeks to 33 weeks and 6 days gestational age Preterm babies: 34 weeks to 36 weeks and 6 days

2. How likely is the survival of premature babies?

The length of the pregnancy plays an important role in determining survival during the care of a premature baby. The precise age of preterm viability constantly poses ethical dilemmas, especially when it comes to the choice of interventional pathological termination of pregnancy.
2.1 The 24-week milestone In many hospitals, 24 weeks is the time when neonatologists need to take important steps in their efforts to save the life of a premature baby.
Accordingly, caring for premature infants at this time always requires aggressive medical interventions, including mechanical ventilation and other invasive treatments, in addition to long stays in hospitals. neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Some premature babies may also need help with breathing tubes and feeding for many days until the organ systems are structurally and functionally complete.
2.2 The 22- to 23-week gestation milestone In the hands of experienced specialists in modern NICUs, babies born a little earlier than 24 weeks may still have a good chance of survival. However, that chance is often slim and the outcome for preterm care procedures at this time is not optimal.
For babies born at 23 weeks or earlier, the survival rate of premature babies is often low and the rate of serious complications or long-term disability and sequelae is much higher than for babies in the womb mother longer than a few weeks.
2.3 Premature Infant Survival Rate For any pregnancy, the chances of survival will continually increase as the pregnancy progresses, even an extra week in the womb can facilitate Children grow up one step further. In general, babies born near 37 weeks prematurely do much better than babies born before 28 weeks.
For example, one study found that overall preterm survival and disease-free survival, respectively, ranged from 5.1% and 3.4% in babies born at 22 weeks' gestation. For the 26-week gestational age, the survival rate of premature infants was significantly higher with an overall survival rate of 81.4% and a disease-free survival rate of 75.6%.
It's also important to note that these preterm survival rates are highly dependent on a multitude of factors, including why the baby was born early and where the baby was cared for, in what conditions. medical case like.

3. Impacts on the survival rate of premature babies

Many factors can affect the premature baby itself and the care of the premature baby, including:
Birth weight: Larger babies have better survival rates. Low birth weight is independently associated with reduced survival rates and a higher risk of disability and health problems. Complications: If an early-onset birth or a cesarean section due to a medical condition, such as placental abruption or prenatal hypoxia, that condition can affect the health and survival of the preterm baby . Number of Newborns: Singleton preterm births are more likely to survive than multiple preterm births Respiratory failure: Any factors that prevent oxygen-rich blood from reaching the fetus through the umbilical cord, such as the colon flowers wrapped around the neck, each other budding. Prenatal steroid treatment: Steroids used by the mother before birth accelerate lung development of premature babies, improving survival rates. Steroids can help a baby breathe better outside of the womb when it's born.

4. Long-term effects on survival rates of premature babies

The fetal brain goes through several stages of growth and development during the last weeks of pregnancy. Therefore, babies born prematurely and who survive face a high probability of some varying degrees of long-term effects.
The severity of these effects depends on many factors, including indications and interventions received. Generally, the more aggressive the treatments required for the care of a premature baby, the higher the risk factors for premature babies.
However, it is difficult to say exactly which babies will have what problems and how serious these problems will be when they grow up. Still, some common long-term effects in premature babies include:
Cerebral palsy: This common neuromotor disorder is caused by abnormal brain development or trauma during labor and care. Chronic health problems: These include an increased risk of epilepsy, congenital heart disease, nutritional problems, neonatal infections, chronic asthma, and sudden infant death syndrome born . Cognitive decline: Children born early can affect their intellectual development later in life. Developmental delay: Premature babies often develop later than premature babies in both physical and other abilities. Hearing or vision sequelae: Poor vision and hearing development often occurs as a sequelae encountered in infants born prematurely. Intellectual disability: Premature babies often have limited cognitive and behavioral control, leading to poor intellectual absorption when they are older. Mental and psychological health abnormalities: Premature babies have a higher rate of negative psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and autism.

In conclusion, many pregnant women, especially those who have had a previous miscarriage, anxiously await the milestone when the survival rate of premature babies is acceptable - and breathe a sigh of relief when it is achieved. that landmark. However, determining the exact survival rate of premature infants is complex and many factors influence the outcome of the care of preterm infants. Because there are so many variables to consider when deciding on a preterm labor for both parents and medical professionals, this is more than just a discussion about whether or not a baby will survive birth. but also the long-term outcomes of taking care of premature babies.
At Vinmec Times City International Hospital, we have successfully received and treated many cases of premature babies, especially cases of extremely preterm birth (24 weeks premature babies weighing only 600 grams)
Treatment of premature babies is one of the techniques is extremely complicated, high risk for both mother and fetus. At Vinmec Times City International Hospital, preterm births are organized in a methodical manner under the coordination of many specialties: obstetrics, anesthesiology, and especially neonatology and paediatrics. This helps to reduce the risks and increase the effectiveness of treatment for health problems that premature babies may have. As a result, the technique of treating premature babies at Vinmec has achieved extremely positive effects, saving the lives of many seemingly hopeless premature births.

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