The MedMal Room: When Born “Too Early” No Longer Means “No Chance”

Survival once thought impossible before 24 weeks is now a real—though fragile—possibility at 22 weeks. The definition of “viability” must evolve with honesty, evidence, and compassion.

Not long ago, a baby born before 24 weeks’ gestation was considered nonviable. “Too early to live,” physicians said quietly in delivery rooms, preparing families for the inevitable. Today, that boundary has shifted. In the world’s most advanced neonatal centers, babies born at 22 weeks—barely halfway through pregnancy—are now surviving. What was once un…