The world is full of surprises, and sometimes they come in the tiniest of packages. Imagine being pregnant at just 19 weeks, and then imagine your little one fighting to stay alive. It's a daunting thought, but it's not uncommon. Many mothers have faced this exact scenario over the years.
You might be wondering if babies born at such an early stage can beat all odds and survive. Let's explore that question together in this article as we dive into the hope that exists for tomorrow!
The Human Body: A Marvelous Machine
The human body is nothing short of extraordinary — every cell working together to keep us operating smoothly. One such example involves pregnancy; when sperm fertilizes an egg, they form a zygote that continues dividing until it ultimately develops into a fetus.
But what happens when things don't go according to plan? At times like these, medical intervention becomes necessary.
This medical intervention can include surgeries or medications that help preserve both lives - mother and child - while facilitating normal fetal development.
Survival Stories against All Odds
Babies born prematurely are considered viable after around twenty-four weeks of gestation (that’s halfway through!), with their chances of survival improving vastly past thirty weeks (phew!). However harrowing, premature birth stories always leave us stunned yet hopeful for future miracles:
- In May 2018,Oakley Peterson welcomed her son Haiden who was declared dead upon his delivery due to lack oxygen supply.To everyone's surprise,this baby came back ALIVE! His Mom revealed he started crying five minutes after ruling out any possibility of him surviving.The doctors then put Hayden on life support immediately,and now he can breathe independently without any machine assistance
- Also in February 2021,Luke Killmeyer from Ohio shared how 'little fighter' Blake survived against all odds weighing only 1 pound when he was born/his due date too far for him to survive
The Horrifying Statistics
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 15 million babies are born prematurely each year. This equates to more than one in ten births, and this number is on the rise.
What's even scarier? In low-income countries, approximately ninety percent of premature babies don't make it past their first week due to difficulty accessing essential neonatal care
These numbers may seem disheartening, but there's also good news — nearly all developed nations have established advanced prenatal care and neonatal intensive care unit programs that aid survival rates immensely at this fragile stage of gestation. It’s safe to say that technological advancements have helped reduce fatality numbers significantly over recent years.
Drilling Down: What Happens At Nineteen Weeks?
At nineteen weeks pregnant, many women haven't even started feeling movement yet - Only regular monitoring via an ultrasound can usually distinguish between life signs.Then what happens if a baby has already been expelled from its mother's womb or a mom gives birth prematurely once the pregnancy reaches fewer than twenty weeks? Here’s what you need to know:
- Your doctor will assess your medical history before performing potential emergency measures.
- A full physical examination might be required but prepares yourself because you might not instantly see any perceivable heartbeats until further testing ensues
- Prenatally failed pregnancies around nineteen weeks yield no fetus remnants which means most moms could still give vaginal delivery according to World Health Organisation guidelines Normal Labor can start anytime from now-up until twenty-eightweeks.Likewise,miscarriages occur generally during the initial twelve-to-twenty-weeks period,hence it concludes vviability beyond twenty-four weeks
Medical Attention After Delivery
Once these tiny humans come into our world so soon after conception,the following procedures can keep them alive and possibly ensure they lead happy, healthy lives:
- Specialized care - NICU offers tailored medical equipment,baby nurturing techniques specializing in neonatal management keeping their temperature just mummy’s at 37°C to breath easy-not too cold nor hot
- Medical Assistance and support - While these babies are still developing outside the womb, right from breathing through artificial ventilators,intensive medications assist them to grow with utmost care
- Parental Bonding Support - Additionally both parents would be assisted greatly.The trained team will provide advice when needed for it can often feel intimidating. Introducing Kangaroo MotherCare is a technique applied wherein the baby stays close/in physical touch with mother's chest for lengthy periods of time providing warmth while advocates skin-to-skin contact leading better weight gains.
Conclusion
In conclusion,it's important to note that no matter what stage of gestation your child might arrive there's always hope. The stories mentioned clearly signify so never give up on yourself nor what life has waiting since miracles eventually do manifest! The advances made in medicine throughout history have undoubtedly helped save countless premature preemies; such developments like incubators,respiratory aid devices e.t.c has boosted infant survival rates incredibly over time which should reassure any trembling mommies out there!!!
It is safe not to rule out emotions that come along when hearing cases about early years pregnances but as seen from birth survive testimonies today,a tiny warrior if given proper professional wellness can go on expanding,get something done exciting,and change the world one day!!