Premature babies: Pikin wey dem born for 22 weeks of pregnancy 'go fit survive'

Improve survival rates for premature babies mean say e don dey possible now to save di lives of pikins wey dem born for 22 weeks, guidance tok.

Before now, doctors bin recommend say na only pikin wey dem born for 23 weeks or later dem dey give treatment to save dia lives.

But evidence don dey now wey show say those wey dem born earlier fit survive - although na only for small numbers - according to di British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM).

Dem say most go die but like one in three fit survive for wia treatment dey possible.

Prof Dominic Wilkinson, wey be consultant neonatologist wey help draw up di guidance, tok say since di dem publish di last guidance, improvement in treatment mean say doctors dey try to save di lives of some babies wey dem born for 22 weeks.

E tok say evidence from those cases don convince BAPM to update dia guidance.

E say dis na "beta tori" sake of say some babies wey dem born for dis kain early stage fit survive now.

But e add say: "Di very high risks mean say no be always di right tin to do to provide intensive medical treatment."

Survival for babies wey dem born before 22 weeks no be wetin dem bin consider to dey possible because di lungs neva develop enof.

Why di chances of survival dey increase?

Different reasons na im dey make di chances for premature pikin to survive increase.

Ova di years, doctors and health teams don dey more and more beta to dey treat mothers and babies.

Dem dey give steroids before birth to help increase di function of di lungs.

Dem don also improve di techniques for ventilating and prevent infection among babies wey dey extremely premature.

Di numbers of babies wey dey extremely premature wey dem dey born for specialist hospitals don increase too.

10 years ago na just ova half di number be but now e don dey close to 80%.

Wetin be di chances of survival for 22 weeks?

Despite progress wey don dey, di chances of survival still dey low.

Most babies wey dem born for 22 weeks go die.

Data from 2016 (inside UK) show say na 486 births happun for dis stage - and for more than 300 cases, di babies no survive labour.

For those wey survive, 140 no dey for di condition wia dem consider trying to save dia lives as possible and maybe doctor give dem pain relieve care to reduce dia suffering.

But for situation wia doctor give treatment wey no be pain relieve care, just ova quarter of di babies survive.

Di guidance say decisions about weda to offer lifesaving treatment depend on di baby condition.

Di twins wey survive for 22 weeks

Ruben and Jenson Powell don become di youngest surviving pre-term twin boys wey dem born for Britain for August last year wen dem be 22 weeks and six days.

"Dis na really story of hope and miracles," di mama Mrs Powell tok. "Dem overcome every coma wey doctor bin give."

Eight days afta Mrs Powell deliver, doctor do lifesaving operation for Ruben wen im intestines fail but e battle through upon im low survival rate.

Jenson also suffer from weakness for im lungs but struggle through.

Di twins get to do 20 blood transfusions, eye injections and laser surgery to prevent blindness and survive both blood poisoning and pneumonia.