Premature babies often have learning difficulties and physical problems

The survival of premature babies is improving because of medical intervention, but there is still ethical debate over intervention.Over half the babies that survived experienced serious health problems, but the survival rate is much high than previously reported in studies.

Sweden has excellent intensive care facilities and expertise, which is why the survival rate is so high.

A UK study of premature births called EPICure found children born prematurely often had learning difficulties as well as physical problems such as deafness, blindness or cerebal palsy. Lead research Dr Karel Marsal of Lund University Hospital said, ‘we do not think intervention should be done at any cost.. we know from other studies that some of these premature babies might go on to have problems later in life and we will be monitoring them for this.’

Research shows premature babies cost the UK an extra £939 million in terms of healthcare, education costs and parental lost earnings. Professor Neil Marlow of EPICure said, ‘even with better survival rates, the rate of morbidity, meaning problems that the babies have, is still very high. That is why we tend to be less aggressive than in Sweden with the care we offer babies born at 23 weeks and younger because we believe the risks outweigh the benefits in terms of outcomes.’