Youngest preemies

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I am trying to do some research on the youngest babies to survive in the N.I.C.U. around the world. In Adelaide Sth. Australia we recently had a baby boy born at 22 weeks and 6 days gestation.He had many of the usual problem associated with being so prem, but apparently is doing really well now.

Could you all help me find out the youngest surviving extreme preemies. Obviously patient confidentiality is very important, so basically all I need to know is for example:"a baby born at 22weeks and 4 days, the hospital and perhaps the year of birth."

I am really only trying to find out the babies born under 24 weeks. So if you could help by telling me the ones born between 21 weeks(I think only little amelia from america was born this young) and 24 at your hospital, I would be really appreciative of your help. Thank you and keep up the great we work of saving these little miracles.

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Hi

I was born almost 20 years ago in Canada and I was only 23 weeks and 5 days . No medical problems whatsoever. I had surgery twice to fix my nose because it was deformed by tubes they put down my nose but it was purely cosmetic. No breathing issues, no allergies, im fine. Whenever I go to the doctor for a checkup they are always like wow! i cant believe you have no medical complications from being born so premature! Oh also i was only 1 lbs 11 ounces when i was born

good luck with your research ^__^

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

Currently; our hospital does not offer aggressive resuscitative efforts for infants deemed to be below 23 weeks. Of course there is always the question of how accurate the dates are. I heard that it is very likely we will lower that standard soon (yikes!). We've certainly had some that the nurses thought were really younger.

I don't know the stats but our 23 weekers have a tough go; high mortality and certainly morbidity (IVH, NEC, PVL, BPD). We do have a fair share of them that go home with their families.

So the answer for our unit would be theoretically 23 0/7 (I can for sure remember one little guy that was that age that did go home though I don't know how well he is doing).

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We have never discharged a live >24 weeker :o

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And FWIW, that "21 weeker" thing is debatable.

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Specializes in NICU.

Right after I started working in the NICU, we had a 22-weeker (we don't normally resuscitate anything under 23 weeks, but this baby was born at home and brought into the ER). By dates this baby was 22 weeks, tiniest thing I've ever seen, and he managed to go home 4-5 months later. I never took care of this kid as I was just brand new on the unit ...... but I do remember seeing a photo that his parents sent in about 6 months after he was discharged. He had no oxygen on, was smiling and actually looked like a "normal" baby. From looking at that picture and reading the updates, I honestly think he was a true miracle ..... one of those things that RARELY happens and isn't the norm.

We've had quite a few 23 weekers go home. Not to say it isn't complete hell for them. What the norm is: The 23 weekers that go home, with a g-tube because they can't breathe while they eat. They have crappy lungs and will require oxygen for a long time. They are blind due to severe ROP. They have a ton of physical/motor limitations from being born so prematurely and from being in a hospital bed for so long. They have years of physical/occupational/speech therapy. And most of the times they had some sort of IVH. They go home on countless medications. And most likely, as if the 5 month NICU stay wasn't long enough, they'll end up in PICU for months and months after being at home for a short time.

IMO, I think it's barbaric and cruel-and-unusual punishment for hospitals to do anything for a 21-23 weeker.

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Specializes in NICU.
Hi

I was born almost 20 years ago in Canada and I was only 23 weeks and 5 days . No medical problems whatsoever. I had surgery twice to fix my nose because it was deformed by tubes they put down my nose but it was purely cosmetic. No breathing issues, no allergies, im fine. Whenever I go to the doctor for a checkup they are always like wow! i cant believe you have no medical complications from being born so premature! Oh also i was only 1 lbs 11 ounces when i was born

good luck with your research ^__^

You were huge for a 23 weeker!

Glad everything turned out so well!

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Thanks All. I am actually the father of the baby mentioned. He was born in Feb this year and was born at 22 weeks and 6 days gestation.

There is definitely no doubt about the accuracy of gestation in his case.

He had no brain bleed and weighed 570grams or 1lb 4oz. He developed emphysema on both lungs on day 9. The docs gave him 2 days! None thought he would live. But after receiving nitric he started to improve.

He had a PDA ligation at 1kg. An inguinal hernia the size of a golf ball which was operated on. He developed level 3 stage 3 ROP and had laser surgery to fix it. He contracted groupB strep at 12 weeks of age and was really sick for a few days, but luckily they caught it early. He has chronic lung disease but after 196 days is now off oxygen. His nasal gastric tube was taken out on day 114 and has been on suck feeds ever since. He now weighs 5kg and is almost 7 months of age.

He spent 93 days in N.I.C.U., 70 0dd of these on a ventilator. A total of 117 days in hospital. He even came now before his due date!(only by 4 days). Even some of his nurses who see him now are amazed, because looking at him now you wouldn't believe he was prem. No head distortion, no nose deformities.

TRULY A MIRACLE BOY!! He literally fit in the palm of my hand at birth.

His eyes have been given the all clear. We are truly blessed to not only have a baby survive at this age but just how healthy he is!

If anymore can help with my research with the hospital you are from also that would be REALLY appreciated. Also do you know what the statistic would be for this gestation? What I mean is % chance of survival. I am told the chance of survival at 23 weeks is 9%.

YOU ARE ALL MIRACLE WORKERS!! WORDS CAN NOT EVEN BEGIN TO EXPRESS WHAT YOU MEAN TO US!! N.I.C.U. NURSES ARE TRULY GIFTS FROM GOD.

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I was also kept in the NICU for 6 months until they felt it was safe for me to come home...and i think the only complication i had was a grade 1 brain bleed? what is that anyway for you Nicu nurses can someone explain it to me? anyway i was discharged and my mom said i was the tiniest thing for the longest time...but im doing good now! in fact, im sitting in my nursing psych class waiting for it to start! :)

i feel bad for the 21 weekers i know its hard to let go but man...i dont think there is any hope \ chance that they will be saved and develop normally

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And FWIW, that "21 weeker" thing is debatable.

That's the thing isn't it? I constantly hear stories about babies of a certain gestation, but the weight is so off you really have to wonder anyways...

Youngest I've seen do well was a 23 weeker by dates, but we all really think she was older and IUGR. She wasn't even intubated until a few weeks after she was born and became septic.

I have a miracle baby I looked after (23 and 1), but she lived 7 months in the NICU and does have some residual problems. You don't really see a lot of those problems until they are school age or older.

It's much more common to see the heart breaking cases unfortunately. I feel bad when parents expect a miracle for their kid and know that more often than not they are setting themselves and their baby up for a lot of pain. We have a kid in the unit right now whose parents are certain a miracle will happen when there is no way... I almost wish the miracle cases were kept off the television.

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Theorethically infants born below 23 weeks gestation are not viable at all unless the dates are wrong, we don't resus infants born below 23wks in my unit. Between 23 and 24wks is a grey area we'll counsel parents and provide resuscitation unless parents want everything to be done. However resuscitation is a definite must for infants at 24wks and above.

Most of the infants born at 23wks and above, as far as my experience goes ( 10yrs in NICU ) don't really have a very good outcome. They may be able to go home but usually with a fair amount of residual effect such as blindness/deaf, IVH resulting in future developmental delays and palsy, CLD require prolong oxygenation even post discharge. However there are miracle babies that actually went home without issues too.

As a matter of fact, this is just a personal decision made without the attempt to offend anyone - I'll not resuscitate my own 23 - 24wker. It's too painful.

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Specializes in Level 3 NICU 17 yrs, Neo transport 13 yr.

we had a 23 weeks 0 day born earlier this year that survived with very few problems. also, had a 23 +5 born in 2006 that survived. my hospital is in topeka, kansas.

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