Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

I know there is a week when the baby is considered "viable" if it is born early....what week is that?

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

24 weeks barely my doctor said. I saw them this early in NICU and it made me so sad.

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

I'm not sure of the medical terms, but more than half of babies born at 25 weeks survive (with complications I would expect...)

It is possible for babies to survive a week or two earlier, but less than half.

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

I know mt mom had me pretty early. I'm sure there have been some born sooner, she was I think 30 weeks with me. The doctor told her all these horrible things,problems that I would start to have when I turn around age 4. I'm prefectly healthy,none of the stuff the doctor told my mom happened. I also seen on TLC a set of twins born by 25 weeks. They stayed in the hospital for four months until they weighted 4lbs.Hope this info helped some.

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

I think it all depends on the baby. Obvoiusly, you want the baby to stay inside as long as possible to get to 40 weeks.

There was recently a story of a 21.5 week baby who survived. She is 8 months old now, but still the size of a 3 or 4 month old. I am sure the earlier the baby, the greater the risk of complications.

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

when Bella had a very brief stay in the NICU because I had a fever at delivery, I saw a 29 week old baby there, heartbreaking. But the baby was thriving and the mom looked confident and happy and he was in a step-down room when we saw him...

It's hard but doable after 24-25 weeks.
A mommy on the multiples just took her twins home that were born around this time.

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

i was born at 32 weeks, 32 years ago, and i think i'm basically okay in the medical community 24 weeks is generally considered "viable", although the more premature the infant is the more likely it is to have complications.

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

On a related note, my doctor said that before 34 weeks, they will take measures to prevent labor if it starts and at 34 weeks and later they will usually let it happen if you go into labor. That does not mean that a baby born earlier won't survive but I assume it does mean that the baby reaches more of a safe point at about 34 weeks.

I know someone who had a 25 week baby. The beginning was very difficult but the baby/toddler is fine now!!

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

If you deliver at 22 weeks they will try to save the baby. Anything before that they won't. However at 24 weeks the baby only has a 50/50 chance of survival. It's so sad.

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

Technically the age of viability is 20 weeks gestation...Literally the medical community puts the age of viability at 22 weeks gestational age....As the years go by the "literal" age of viability continues to increase (or decrease depending upon how you look at it)...I had preemie twins 14 1/2 years ago at 22 weeks + gestation and back in 1993 there was simply no hope for them.

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

we have a friend of the family that just had a baby at 24 weeks and he is already breathing on his own (he was 2 pounds when he was born)

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

My friend-a poster on the boards, had twins at 29 weeks and they are both perfect. They spent almost 3 months inside the NICU but are now pretty much caught up in growth and development.

Re: Whats the earliest a baby can live outside the womb?

I have read as early as 24 weeks (usually with complications). This is far from certain though. 30 weeks is a safer timeframe, but there can be complications then as well.

My coworker had her son at 5 months, and he survived. He was only 1 lb. at birth, and he had a lot of repiratory problems in the beginning. She also said he was behind in school when he was young. She insisted that the school hold him back in 2nd grade, which they did, and she said he caught up and did well after that. Now he is 18 and going off to college--no health problems.

I think that's a very rare story, and she was quite fortunate, but it's amazing to hear, esp. considering this happened quite awhile ago.