What Is A Viable Pregnancy?

Have you encountered the term “viable pregnancy” by now? Are you interested in finding out more about what a viable fetus means? This are questions for which you need an answer before conceiving, if you want your 9 months of pregnancy to really represent the most beautiful period of time of your life, and not needing to worry every single day of your pregnancy.

What Is a Viable Pregnancy?

A viable pregnancy represents one which may lead to a living baby being born. Otherwise speaking, a pregnancy is considered viable if the doctor notices it evolves normally, there`ll be no indications of miscarriage, and there`s high chances for him to consider the pregnancy`s result will be a live infant.

The “viable pregnancy” terminology is generally used when describing an “alive” pregnancy. A viable pregnancy before there`s really a heartbeat (before 6 weeks) might lead the doctor to the assumption that the pregnancy hormone hCG is rising in a normal manner. But a viable pregnancy could also mean that there`s a fetal heartbeat and that the baby is really alive. Making things easier, a viable pregnancy will generally mean that the baby isn`t dead, therefore is alive.

What Is the Age of Viability of a Fetus?

When the term viability is used for describing a developing baby, or a fetus, it refers to the pregnancy time when the actual baby could be born and also have a reasonable survival chance. For many hospitals in the U.S., the viability age is around 6 months of pregnancy.

The “age of viability” term (known as fetal viability as well) will then refer to the pregnancy point when the baby may have a survival chance if he would be born prematurely, usually this being at 6 months of pregnancy.

What Is a Periviable Birth?

There`ve been lots of distinct definitions as to at what pregnancy week the baby becomes viable and when the baby has a reasonable surviving chance. This particular definition is different depending on what country we are talking about. Periviability represents the actual time around this particular definition. Periviability refers to babies that are born near the viability limit whose results vary from sure or almost sure death to likely to survive with a high chance of serious morbidities. A periviable birth defines as a birth occurring from 20 to 25 weeks of gestation, according to ACOG.

What Is a Nonviable Pregnancy?

A nonviable pregnancy represents a pregnancy where the level of hCG hormone doesn`t rise normally or there`s no heartbeat. In early pregnancy, this might be a missed spontaneous abortion or a miscarriage. It`s a pregnancy in which the chances for a living baby being born are non-existent, like a pregnancy in which the baby doesn`t have a heartbeat, a molar pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy.

What Does It Mean if the Fetus Is Not Viable?

In some cases, a fetus that is nonviable is a fetus that has less than 50% chances to survive the uterus and the term is for a fetus that has less than 24 weeks of gestation. In specific countries (like the U.S.), the distinction might carry important legal repercussions. A 1^st-trimester fetus without a heart rate might be named a “failed pregnancy” more accurately.

How Soon Can a Baby Be Born Healthy?

• Babies have slim chances to survive before 22 weeks of pregnancy.
• Their survival chances depend on health and birth weight at 23 – 24 weeks of pregnancy.
• At 27 weeks of pregnancy (extremely early), 90% of babies who are treated in the neonatal intensive care unit will have high chances of survival. At this point, babies experience a constant risk of hypothermia, infection low blood sugar and blood pressure. They also must be helped to breathe.
• At 28 – 31 pregnancy weeks (very early), babies will still require special care as well as possible specialized care in the neonatal intensive care unit. While they are stronger than babies born at 27 weeks, they still may experience hypothermia, infection or low blood sugar.
• At 32 – 32 weeks of pregnancy (moderately early), there are certain babies who are able to remain with their mother, but they may still need special care due to issues of infection, breathing or feeding.
• At 32 – 36 pregnancy weeks (early), babies are very small. They might not require any special care or they might require some transitional care. This will depend on possible issues of infection, regulating blood sugar and blood sugar, or how they`re feeding.
• At 37 – 38 weeks of pregnancy (early term), babies may still require some special treatment because their liver, lungs and brain are still in development.
• At 39 – 40 pregnancy weeks (full term), babies are much better off than newborns born earlier. They are able to suck and swallow, breath better, have gained sufficient weight to regulate body temperature better, and can remain awake long enough to be fed.