They weigh as little as a pound yet force some of the toughest choices in all of medicine. Extremely premature babies face big differences in how hard hospitals try to save them, a study finds.
It is the first major look in the U.S. at how preemies fare according to the care they get.
There was a wide range – some hospitals always gave active treatment to the youngest preemies as opposed to just comfort care, but others never did. Researchers had no information on how parental wishes affected the decisions versus hospital policy, but said that probably was not the main factor because differences in care from one place to another were so large.
Parents need to know that “the hospital that you go to might determine what happens to your baby,” although many parents are not in a position to shop around when they find themselves in these emergency situations, said one study leader, Dr. Edward Bell of the University of Iowa.
They also should be given better information on survival odds – not just by gestational age but also by what happens if active care is given, said another study leader, medical student Matthew Rysavy.