EdgeOfViability's podcast: Recent Episodes
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Thirty years ago, on the edge of viability meant saving infants born at 25 and 26 weeks’ gestation. Today, when you walk into a Level III NICU it is not uncommon to see infants born at 22 0/7–24 6/7 weeks’ gestation. In this 3-part series, Donna Lemmenes, examines the ethical questions related to infants born at these gestations, the obstetric components of pre-delivery, and the concept of shared decision making to help determine possible outcomes.
In the 1st installment of this 3-part podcast, Donna describes the ethical components related to infants born at 22 0/7–24 6/7 weeks’ gestation.
In the 2nd installment of this 3-part series, Donna uses a case study of a mother at 22 3/7 weeks’ gestation with rupture of membranes to describe the obstetric components of the predelivery, multidisciplinary discussions regarding the approach to care of this pregnancy and this neonate. Ethical principles involved in these types of discussions are explored.
In the final installment in this series, Donna talks about the concept of shared decision making as opposed to the paternalism of the past, the NICHD tool that can be used to help determine possible outcomes, and how those possible outcomes can be affected by the levels and types of interventions the neonate receives.