Caring for Extremely Preterm Infants Born at the Threshold of Viability

Host: Patrice L Basanta-Henry, MD, MHSc, FACOG Approximately just 0.5% of all births occur before the third trimester of pregnancy, yet these very early deliveries result in the majority of neonatal deaths and more than 40% of infant deaths. Care for infants born at the threshold of viability, less than 24 weeks of gestation and with body weights less than 1000 grams, poses many difficult clinical, social, and ethical questions among clinicians and families. Host Dr. Patrice Basanta-Henry speaks with guest Dr. Fyama Wenner, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Atlanta Maternal Fetal Medicine, about special care considerations for extremely preterm infants, as well as effective counseling strategies for families.