Preemies

Ethics groups suggest that preemies after 22 weeks not be given special care but allowed to die since the survival rate is only one percent. Some babies survive after a botched abortion and they also are allowed to die. The question is just how do they die. Since no direct action is taken to kill them are they just allowed to lie there until they die. Does the baby suffer during this time. We analyzed prospectively collected data on 6075 deaths among 22,248 live births, with gestational ages of 22 0/7 to 28 6/7 weeks, among infants born in study hospitals within the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. Deaths related to pulmonary causes, immaturity, infection, and central nervous system injury decreased, while necrotizing enterocolitis–related deaths increased. In end of life cases people are allowed to die but they are kept comfortable and pain free.