[VickyRN]

Which gestational age and weight is the cut-off for treatment in your NICU and palliative care (let the baby die)? I believe at the NICU in my area, it is 24 weeks and/or 500 grams, but I may be wrong. Thanks so much for all of your assistance. You all have been so kind and helpful!!!

[nicudaynurse]

Well are unit doesn't have a specific cut-off. 24 weeks and up will always be treated. 22 and 23 weekers will be treated depending on the babies weight/health and the family wishes. Some of the units in my area do have a 24week/500gram cut off, but not ours. Sometimes it just depends what physician is on call. Some are more aggressive that others.

[fergus51]

We also don't have a set in stone cut off. I was told it depends very much on how the baby comes out. If it is attempting to breathe and has a decent heart rate, they will often try, even if it is below 500g and less than 24 weeks gestation. I am new and find this really hard. I can't imagine making that decision and wonder if the long term results are really worth it...

[RN from OZ]

We do not have a set cut off . all depends on the babies condition at birth, wgt, resp effort, and vitals. also the wishes of the parents.

[NicuGal]

We don't really have a cut off either...most of the time if it looks viable then we get it...whether or not it really is.

[NICU_Nurse]

We get a lot of extreme preemies on our unit- many of them are IUGR due to drug use, etc., so we have no weight cut-off as far as I am aware. I was told that 22 and 3/7 weeks is our minimum, but I have seen some questionable infants who could have possibly been a smidge younger (with devastating but inevitable results, in many cases).

I posted this on your other thread, but recently in this area a group attempted to intubate a 350 gram infant (don't know all the details involved; sorry about the sketchiness) but the baby died in the delivery room.

[VickyRN]

Thanks for the info!!!