Whats the youngest baby you've seen survive???

jdomep · Mar 13, 2003

I have a very good friend who had her little boy at 23weeks 1lb - 1oz and "C" is 3 now and is as normal as my little 3yo (though doesn't tend to do well when he gets a bad cold - usually ends up with low O2 sats and needs some O2 therapy about once a year) He is indeed a miracle!

mother/babyRN, RN · Mar 13, 2003

22 weeks with some residual problems....

border rn · May 4, 2004

[QUOT

E=mother/babyRN]22 weeks with some residual problems....

We recently had a rash of pre-term labor babies deliver mostly by vag delivery but some where twins born via section. Most were between 23 and 25 weeks and had been treated with steroids prior to delivery. Most did ok but will have some problems later on. A few have seizure disorders, or are having apenic episodes still. One set of twins finally went home after 6 month. I still feel that the parents need to be really informed of the outcomes of these kids. We have one little girl who we shipped out who is still on a vent today after a year? The parents cannot even afford to go and visit her and they have no transportation I believe she is being made a ward of the state. Sometime technology can be too good for our own good

rpbear · May 6, 2004

This subject became a huge debate just two nights ago.

I was taking care of a mom who was going to deliver her 23 week 4 day baby despite all our efforts to stop it. Our NICU has taken 23 week babys if the parents want them too, however this was never even offered to my pt. I being new did not even know this was an option to her. Another nurse approuched the family about it and asked if they would like to talk to NICU. They said yes, so in order to get a consult we needed a MD order. Well needless to say the MD flipped out, and was very upset that we even mentioned it to the family without asking him first. We tried to explain to him that this was not out decision to make! The family needed to know ALL of thier options so they could make an informed decision. NICU came and talked with the family, they decided that they did not want to put thier baby through that and only wanted to hold him for the little time that they had with him. He died peacfully in thier arms moments after birth.

Each family has to make this decision for themselves and thanks to our NICU and all of their information they were able to make a decision that they could live with. The porgnosis for most of these little ones is not great. A 23 weeker only has a 20% chance of survival, and an even smaller chance of not haveing any long term effects. It is great to hear about these miracle babies, but 23 weeks is just too early for most!

eirthjona · May 7, 2004

21 weeks was the youngest I have see. She was on the insperational wall at the NICU where I had my 31 weeker. She was 18 when my son was born 7 years ago. The only long term thing she had wrong was her eyes. She was also very tall.

BabyRN2Be · May 7, 2004

I can't remember how far along she was, but our pharmacist's wife had delivered a set of twins. They were both 20 ounces. One died a month later, and the other is doing "OK" last time I talked with him. Not great, but "OK". He's 7 now, and is in developmental classes. Not the greatest situation, as he was born in February and not d/c'd until September I believe.

nurturing_angel · May 7, 2004

I remember a pre-termer once that was 22 weeks and we were desperately trying to stop her labor. She was very agreeable and cooperative til her mother came in and started telling her stories about how another distant family member had delivered at 19 weeks and the baby was fine....didn't even need O2, on and on and on......Then mom suddenly didn't want the labor stopped as it "would be nice to have the pregnancy over with".

This is the first and only time I can ever remember losing my composure and speaking so harshly to a pt or a family member. We were finally able to stop the labor enough to send the pt to a larger hospital with a NICU....she called me a few days later at work...still in the hospital and told me she had been allowed to visit the NICU and she was glad I was so adamant about stopping the labor.

Oh, how I miss OB :crying2:

dawngloves, BSN, RN · May 7, 2004

You're right Angel. So many women hear stories of "20 weeker survives with no problems" that they think delivering at 23 weeks will be a piece of cake. I've had L&D nurses bring moms to the unit that want to leave AMA or are refusing Mag because they don't get that a 26 weeker is very sick at birth! They think they are just small.

I have yet to see anyone born

tamrnmomof4 · May 12, 2004

The earliest I am aware of was 23 weeks and 5 days, he is doing great...no C/P...not even any vision problems he had a small grade 1 bleed but is doing very well. She did not even get the steriods because the physicians were treating him as a demise but since mom held out for a few days nicu was there and evaluated him delivery and decided to treat.

crankyasanoldma · May 12, 2004

Each family has to make this decision for themselves and thanks to our NICU and all of their information they were able to make a decision that they could live with. The porgnosis for most of these little ones is not great. A 23 weeker only has a 20% chance of survival, and an even smaller chance of not haveing any long term effects. It is great to hear about these miracle babies, but 23 weeks is just too early for most!

I guess it depends on the facility, but our survival rate at 23 weeks is greater than 60%.

I do agree that each family needs to be fully informed.

fergus51 · May 12, 2004

One of our recent 23 weekers has survived. And unfortunately, survival is about all this poor child has to look forward to. Horrible long term prognosis.