Extremely preterm birth – the limit of viability
AbstractNowadays all the neonates, starting with 22.0 weeks of gestation, considered to be survivable. It became possible due to achievements of medicine and diverse scientific studies. Necessity of resuscitation and intensive curing of extremely preterm neonates is one of the hottest topics all over the world. There is no certainty in this field despite large experience. Furthermore the mortality and morbidity rate of these neonates is high. All modern technologies (pessary, progesterone, oxytocin antagonists, corticosteroids, surfactant, medical ventilation) can hardly reduce the rate of extremely preterm birth and improve short-term and long-term outcomes. Further progress is possible by means of continuous clinical examination of high-risk women (from the conception planning and birth giving till the catam nesis treatment of extremely preterm neonates). Each patient requires individual approach by a team of specialists: gynecologist, obstetrician, neonatologist, pediatrician.
Keywords:extremely preterm birth, extremely low birth weight, perinatal mortality, perinatal morbidity, cervix insufficiency, intrauterine infection