What Does
Fetal Viability Mean?
Fetal viability refers to the potential of a prematurely born fetus (developing baby) to survive outside the uterus after birth. The viability of a fetus means having reached such a stage of development as to be capable of living, under normal conditions, outside the uterus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that the viability of the fetus is possible after 20 weeks of fetal life. However, there is no worldwide accepted gestational age at present that defines viability, perhaps because the biomedical and technological aspects that regulate viability vary widely in different parts of the world.
FertilitySmarts Explains Fetal Viability
Several factors impact fetal viability. The three most remarkable are gestational age (how far along a woman is in her pregnancy), baby’s weight, and fetal organ maturity. Doctors use gestational age as a guide to making decisions about resuscitation (life-support system) because this factor strongly influences the outcome.
The currently agreed limit of viability is 22 to 25 weeks of pregnancy. With aggressive intervention, most babies born at 26 weeks and above have higher odds of survival. However, the risk of severe disabilities remains high at 26 weeks.
Infants born between 24 and 25 weeks of gestation (pregnancy) fall within the ‘grey zone.’ This is because the outcomes of medical treatment for these babies are uncertain.