Improving neonatal counselling service for premature births

Abstract

Despite the substantial advancement of neonatal care leading to increased survival of infants of periviable gestation, as young as 22 weeks,1 the anticipated birth of an extremely low gestational age infant remains challenging for both the parents and physician, with regard to decision-making in initiating resuscitation post-delivery. Ideally, the eventual decision should be well informed, ethically sound and mutually agreed upon by the medical team, and alongside parental wishes pre-delivery.2,3