A Qatar Newspaper irresponsibly reported a story this week that I believe shouldn’t have even made it to the press.
Since the arrival of the 22-week gestation sextuplets 2 weeks ago, the issue of prematurity and the limit of viability has been pushed front and center in most news outlets.
The vast population does not understand that 22 weeks gestation is the extreme limit of viability and that a baby born anytime before that has zero chance of survival. Let’s be honest, 95% of babies born AT 22 weeks will not survive.
That’s why I was so frustrated to come across a story that I deemed irresponsible and misleading.
The Gulf Times reported that a woman, who lives in the UK, delivered a baby at 16 weeks gestation in her home and that the baby was refused admission to the hospital because it was deemed to be a “miscarriage”.
They go on to say that the baby was breathing and that it measured 5 inches long.
A source, who witnessed the incident, said: “Paramedics had a baby struggling for life and were basically told, ‘Don’t bring it to us, we don’t want it.’”
While I understand that this whole situation was probably devastating to the mother and that she will probably need years of therapy to begin to clear the images of her baby gasping for air out of her head, this baby would never have survived.
What should have happened is that the staff at the hospital should have taken the baby and then explained to the mother the early stage of development that the fetus was in and all of the parts that have yet to begin to develop.
Sadly, no one knows why babies decide to make such an early arrival into the world, and it was probably very scary for this mom to see such a small being needing medical assistance when none could be given.
Many women have experienced situations like this without making it to press because unfortunately nothing can be done for these young angels.
The article goes on to say :
Babies under 22 weeks are not generally resuscitated or given intensive care under current NHS practice. Around 98% of babies born earlier do not survive.
A Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust spokesman said: “A baby born before 22 weeks is considered a miscarriage. The likelihood of the baby living is negligible and a maternity unit can distress the mother.”
So…if that’s the case, why would they have printed the piece at all? Why lead people to believe that a 16-week-old fetus should be admitted and treated when they clearly know the stats of survival at that gestation?
I don’t have the answers, but I do know that my heart goes out to this mom. I pray that she will become pregnant again and that her next go will be successful. Hopefully carrying a healthy full-term baby will help heal some of the scars that have occurred during this birth.
I am absolutely in shock.
I found your site and was in AWE for a total of 4 straight hours. Wow, look what has become out of the worst situations… a 16 year old has over half a dozen babies, more than 1 interracial couple has babies of rainbow colors, sexy lingerie to promote the well FEELING of an expectant mother, a baby half the size of her twin…. THEN to my disgust, you deny the validity of a life of baby b/c the child is 22 weeks gestation. you said the baby was GASPING FOR BREATH.. and that does not mean the baby is worth the effort?
really…?
All that and then you say this?
I am mortified.
I had just recommended your site to my sister, but I am not sure I can come back here with a clear conscious. A baby is a baby regardless of WHEN she was born… I don’t care about statistics. Records are broken daily. Statistics mean nothing.
For the record…The baby in the story was 16 weeks gestation not 22 weeks. I do refer to a 22 weeker, but only because the Morrison Sextuplets had just arrived and there was a bit of controversy about their gestation.
Because I have a son that was born at 24 weeks weighing 675gms, I know that this baby did not have a chance in this or any universe of surviving. My frustration was that this paper made it seem like the baby did by saying that it was gasping for air when I know that the lungs are so underdeveloped no amount of steroids or help from an artificial machine could have changed the outcome.
When I write this site every day I try to show all of the amazing things that can happen while trying to keep the bad stories out. We have covered every premature baby I could find that has gone on to do well (including Amelia Taylor who was born at 21 weeks 6 days) in hopes that it will give some mom or dad hope while their child is sitting in the NICU.
Heather should keep her racist opinions to herself! Thank you for your support of preemies and their families no matter their race, religion or nationality!
How sad!! But really, who would ever believe that baby would make it. 16 weeks is too early and the lungs do not work.
It’s a sad, sad story. But the fact is any attempt to resuscitate the baby or assist the breathing would have done more harm than good. There are horror stories about micro-preemies where a doctor attempts to ventilate them and bursts their lungs like overfilled ballons, (sorry for the blunt and crude metaphor)
Yeah the hospital should have handled it with more grace but there was nothing to do for that baby.
Even EVEN if there was a one in 10billion chance the baby had survived, they would have been riddled with developmental issues and would have had a horrible quality of life.
Condolences to the mother and I wish her happy and healthy pregnancies in the future.