Very premature baby survival not improving

By Tim Castle

LONDON (Reuters) - There has been no improvement in the survival rate of babies born before Britain's 24-week legal limit for abortion, doctors said on Friday, ahead of an expected attempt by pro-life legislators to reduce the cut-off period.

A study of 650,000 births between 1994 and 2005 in the Midlands showed clear improvements in survival rates for infants born after 24 and 25 weeks' gestation.

But the research, published in the British Medical Journal, found survival rates for babies born at 22 and 23 weeks had not changed during the 12 years covered.

David Field, professor of neonatal medicine at Leicester University and lead author of the study, said medical advances that had aided older babies had failed to assist the younger ones.

"Doing exactly the same thing for these more immature babies doesn't seem to have made any difference at all," he said.

"It's as if there is some maturity effect that kicks in around 23 and 24 weeks."

The study was based on records of births in the former Trent health region, covering Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

In the 12 years to 2005, all 150 infants born alive at 22 weeks eventually died.