Viability
There is no sharp limit of development, age, or weight at which humans automatically become viable.[1] A recent study found that even with active intervention, no infants born at least than 22 weeks survived, at 23 weeks survival without severe impairment is less than 2%, and at 25 weeks, up to 30% might survive without severe impairment.[2] [3] The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal and Fetal Medicine states that in cases of delivery occurring before 26 weeks, “given the potential for maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity, the option of pregnancy termination should be reviewed with the patients.”[4]
Because the chance of survival is variable based on interventions available and the weight and sex of the fetus, there is no consensus on viability.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reports that 23% of abortion providers offer abortions at 20 weeks of gestation and later, most often using a method called Dilation and Evaluation (D&E)[5].
- ^ Moore, Keith and Persaud, T. The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology, p. 103 (Saunders 2003).
- ^ Rysavy, Matthew A.; Li, Lei; Bell, Edward F.; Das, Abhik; Hintz, Susan R.; Stoll, Barbara J.; Vohr, Betty R.; Carlo, Waldemar A.; Shankaran, Seetha (2015-05-07). "Between-Hospital Variation in Treatment and Outcomes in Extremely Preterm Infants". New England Journal of Medicine. 372 (19): 1801–1811. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1410689. ISSN 0028-4793. PMC 4465092. PMID 25946279.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) - ^ March of Dimes --> Neonatal Death Retrieved on November 10, 2014. In turn citing:
- Tyson JE, Parikh NA, Langer J, Green C, Higgins RD (April 2008). "Intensive care for extreme prematurity--moving beyond gestational age". N. Engl. J. Med. 358 (16): 1672–81. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa073059. PMC 2597069. PMID 18420500.
- Luke B, Brown MB (December 2006). "The changing risk of infant mortality by gestation, plurality, and race: 1989-1991 versus 1999-2001". Pediatrics. 118 (6): 2488–97. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-1824. PMC 3623686. PMID 17142535.
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (September 2002). "ACOG Practice Bulletin: Clinical Management Guidelines for Obstetrcian-Gynecologists: Number 38, September 2002. Perinatal care at the threshold of viability". Obstet Gynecol. 100 (3): 617–24. doi:10.1016/S0029-7844(02)02260-3. PMID 12220792.
- ^ "Obstetric Care Consensus No. 3 Summary". Obstetrics & Gynecology. 126 (5): 1123–1125. 2015-11. doi:10.1097/aog.0000000000001101. ISSN 0029-7844.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Practice Bulletin No. 135". Obstetrics & Gynecology. 121 (6): 1394–1406. June 2013. doi:10.1097/01.aog.0000431056.79334.cc. ISSN 0029-7844.