Another Question for You....

Specialties NICU

Published

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!!!:D

nicudaynurse

150 Posts

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

6,620 Posts

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

75 Posts

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, MSN, RN

2,743 Posts

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

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.

Specializes in NICU.

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, MSN, DNP, RN

49 Articles; 5,349 Posts

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Thanks for the info!!!

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