Premature Baby Born Half the Size of Her Twin Now Thriving

By Kim Schwartz, Texas Right to Life Twins Reagan and Mila have defied the odds from the very beginning. Doctors warned that Reagan would not make it to birth, but the girls were born 11 weeks premature by emergency C-section. Their new chapter outside the womb was marked with challenges, with Mila weighing 2lb 13oz at birth, …

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If actively treated, 25% of babies born at 22 weeks survive

By Sarah Terzo From an article in National Right to Life News Today: “The results of a massive study of nearly 5,000 extremely premature babies published last Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the survival rate of babies born at 22 and 23 weeks increased substantially if hospitals actively treat the …

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Possibly the youngest surviving preemie doing well at 4 years old

By Dave Andrusko As any reader of NRL News Today already know, we are mesmerized by stories of very premature babies beating the odds. For one thing, it emphasizes the common humanity these little ones share with us. For another, it reminds us of the inherent schizophrenia of abortion where a baby down the hall …

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Premature babies soothed by songs created from their own heartbeats

By Cassy Fiano-Chesser A premature birth can be stressful for everyone — for the baby, for his or her parents, and for the medical team tasked with providing care. But the staff at one children’s hospital is finding novel ways to help premature babies survive and thrive… and it gives them a lifelong souvenir, too. …

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Neurologist: Both preborn and premature babies feel pain

By Sarah Terzo Dr. Paul Ranalli, Professor of Neurology at the University of Toronto, has stated, in reference to the pain felt by premature babies: “The only difference between a child in the womb at this stage or one born and therefore in an incubator, is how they receive oxygen – either through the umbilical …

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Authors says hospitals should give extreme preterm babies the best possible chance to life

By Xavier Symons Editor’s note. This is excerpted from a post that appeared at Bioedge and is reposted with permission. A new article in Bioethics criticises policies in neonatal care units that mandate the withholding of treatment from babies born before 25 weeks gestation. Neonatologist Manya J. Hendriks (University Hospital Zurich) and paediatrician John D. Lantos (Children’s …

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More very premature babies are surviving and with fewer neurological impairments

Changes in ICU culture are key By Dave Andrusko Editor’s note. The very encouraging story we posted today about the very premature baby in Canada who is now thriving convinced me we should re-run this fabulous story from earlier this year. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine and its bland headline conceals …

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Increasing survival of extremely premature babies again raises questions about upper abortion limits

By Peter Saunders Editor’s note. Dr. Saunders is a former general surgeon and CEO of Christian Medical Fellowship, a UK-based organization with 4,500 UK doctors and 1,000 medical students as members. The increasing survival of extremely premature babies is again raising serious questions about the 24 week upper limit for social abortion. [Earlier this month] …

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A crochet octopus is helping premature babies thrive

By Nancy Flanders In February of 2013 in Denmark, a group of volunteers began what is known as The Octo Project. They crochet adorable octopi that are helping premature babies feel more secure. The project seems to be leading to improvement in the tiny children’s health. “While they may seem like an unlikely bedfellow for …

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More very premature babies are surviving and with fewer neurological impairments

Changes in ICU culture are key By Dave Andrusko The study appeared today in the New England Journal of Medicine and its bland headline conceals very, very encouraging results: “Survival and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes among Periviable Infants.” But the conclusion of the study, led by Duke Health, is nicely captured in a story written by Samiha Khanna …

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Giving back: Sisters born prematurely now care for preemie babies

By Texas Right to Life Sisters Ainsley and Tiffany Ballantyne, both born prematurely, know first-hand the struggles these children can face. The Sunday Post reports that Ainsley, 26, and Tiffany, 22, received extensive medical care throughout childhood, spending many days in the hospital. From an early age, inspired by the nurses who cared for them, …

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