Infants born at the limits of viability: how management decisions impact on parents and the NHS

While improvements in neonatal care have significantly improved the survival of infants born prematurely, the outcomes at the limits of viability remain extremely poor. Despite the rarity of births at this early gestation, there is wide variation in clinicians’ practice in the recording of these infants as being born alive or not. This article explores the ways that different approaches to the management of babies delivered at the limits of viability can impact on both parents’ experiences and the NHS.