Extreme Prematurity - Case Presentation

After another week, Tanya is unable to maintain a stable pregnancy, goes into labor and the baby is delivered by emergency cesarean procedure at twenty-three weeks gestational development weighing 1100 grams (2.45 pounds). Because it is so premature, the infant’s prospect for survival and prognosis for normal functional development is guarded. Tests confirm that Tanya and Tyrone’s infant has hydrocephalus. The exact degree of delayed or arrested mental development cannot be predicted until the baby is older. Although prognosis for premature infants is constantly changing due to medical advances and varies significantly among facilities, at the hospital where Tanya has delivered, her baby has a less than 50% chance for survival, and is also likely to have significant neurological impairment.