Infants Who Survive Birth at the Edge of Viability: How Are They Doing at School Age?

The past 20 years have witnessed a dramatic improvement in survival after extremely preterm birth. Currently, most infants born between 25 and 28 weeks’ gestation can survive when provided with delivery room resuscitation followed by neonatal intensive care, including positive-pressure ventilation, surfactant replacement, and nutritional support. At least for babies born at or after 25 completed weeks’ gestation, the expected long-term outcome is good enough that most neonatologists consider delivery room resuscitation and neonatal intensive care obligatory, regardless of the parents’ preference.¹