New research suggests that preterm baby survival rates are slowly but surely improving in the United States. According to a study carried out by Duke investigators, babies born between 22 and 24 weeks into their gestation period are now slightly more likely to survive than they were a decade ago.
Which in turn suggests that many of the healthy babies in the US out and about in their strollers today would simply not have survived just a few short years ago.
Specifically, the researchers found that from 2000 to 2003, just 30% of preterm babies survived. During the period between 2008 and 2011 however, this increased to 36%. Though the increase is relatively slight, experts believe it nonetheless illustrates important progress in the right direction.
“The most important thing is that there’s some improvement over time in the outcomes of these 22 to 24-week gestational age babies,” commented Charles Michael Cotten, professor of pediatrics and a senior author of the study.
While there have been many incredible advances in technology and treatment methods over the years, babies born at an early stage have the odds stacked against them. Their digestive system isnt’ ready to absorb nutrients, their organs are not fully developed and they face a high risk of brain damage. Success rates among specialists caring for preterm babies are improving, but even the most advanced technology cannot fully replicate the gestation process.
“We aren’t as good as a mom and a placenta,” Cotten said.
“We’re trying to, but we have a long way to go.”
Some of the possible reasons cited for the ongoing improvement include reductions in infection rates due to enhanced care standards, along with the use of mother’s milk in feeding preterm babies and the use of steroids in mothers at the highest risk of delivering prematurely.
