What is the earliest a baby can survive if born

before your due date? We are figuring out our insurance and it does not kick in until March 1st...at that point I would be 30 weeks...but what we need to know is if the babies should come early what is the chance that they will survive...I know it's an awful thing to think about but I need some help, so we know when to buy extra insurance to cover that possibility..

Thanks.

 

From what I've gathered doctors and hospitals have said viability is about 23 weeks or 500 grams (pretty sure that's the weight). However there is new speculation on that because one mother was able to trick her doc into thinking she was 23 weeks when she was 21 and they saved the baby. Her daughter is only case of being "saved" at under 23 weeks.

Hope that helped.

 

A girl who graduated from high school with me had a baby (just 1) in April at 23 weeks. He is still in the hospital and still has a trach. I am not sure when he will get to go home.

 

THANKS!!

 

This was one of the questions I asked our pediatrician this go-around. She said the earliest born survivor in her practice is a 24 weeker. I think it's pretty common to consider 24 weeks the point of "viability" but it is still very very very difficult if they come that early and it's not a sure thing.

Hope that helps!

 

I think the average viability is 24 weeks, but there were a couple 22 and 23 weekers at our NICU when my girls were there.

Is there any way that you can get state health insurance since you are pregnant to fill in the gap? Those bills get expensive, not to mention all of your OB/peri appt's bills. My girls NICU bills were $110,000 each per week, and they were in there for 10 weeks...thank goodness we had insurance.

GL!! I hope you are able to get it all worked out!

 

QUOTE(Kyrstyn @ Oct 23 2008, 10:26 AM) [snapback]1038555[/snapback]
I think the average viability is 24 weeks, but there were a couple 22 and 23 weekers at our NICU when my girls were there.

Is there any way that you can get state health insurance since you are pregnant to fill in the gap? Those bills get expensive, not to mention all of your OB/peri appt's bills. My girls NICU bills were $110,000 each per week, and they were in there for 10 weeks...thank goodness we had insurance.

GL!! I hope you are able to get it all worked out!


YIKES!!! Gosh DH is going to have a heart attack if I show him that! We did a MAJOR opps! we thought our insurance was going to kick in starting sept. 1st...but we have to wait 180 days from Sept. 1st which puts us at March 1st for insurance to kick in...that is all fine and dandy, as long as the babies stay put. We are just SO mad at ourselves (we are smarter than this!) that we did not follow up and were just "too nice" when we did call and ask for things in writing. GRRR So mad at myself!!

 

Well Emilie was born at home at 25w3d. And she is absolutley perfect, see the little blonde in my avatar. My twins NICU bill was well over a million dollars, they were there for 8 weeks.

Good luck figuring it out.

 

My sister had a super rare infection with her second son that sent her into spontaneous labor at 25 weeks - he was born weighing just about 1lb and 10oz, spent 3 months in the NICU but is a wonderful happy 2 year old now!!!!!

 

QUOTE(Joanna416 @ Oct 23 2008, 11:04 AM) [snapback]1038640[/snapback]
My sister had a super rare infection with her second son that sent her into spontaneous labor at 25 weeks - he was born weighing just about 1lb and 10oz, spent 3 months in the NICU but is a wonderful happy 2 year old now!!!!!

That sounds like my Emilie. She was born at 25w3d and was 1 lb 10 oz. It is so great how these little preemies can make such great strides!! I love hearing all these success stores about little preemies.

 

Hi. You're asking a good question. Most docs will tell you that at 23 weeks a baby has a 50% chance of survival. My daughter was born at 29 weeks, and her chances were over 90%. She's totally healthy now, 5 years later.

That said, I know many preemies, and the ones who are 30 weeks and beyond are generally high functioning in most ways. Some have special needs, but not all of them do - including my DD. She's the tallest person in her Kindy class, and she's very healthy!

But as for viability, if you're at 30 weeks, you can breathe easy.

 

We were told 24 weeks was 'viability' and that was the major first milestone. 28 weeks was the next for a 90% survival rate. My girl were born at 32 weeks and they had a 96% survival rate with 80% of no major disabilities.

After 24 weeks my Peri was VERY proactive in trying to get us 'one more week' (I had Preterm labor/complications from 17 weeks on). My girls almost were delivered at 26 & 29 week--both times the NICU was prepared and told us statistics for survival.

We have meet 24 weekers ( on up to 35 week) preemies at March of Dimes---it is awesome to see all the preemies together!!

I would try to get extra insurance- just in case.

KC

 

Mine were born at 31w0d and spent 5 and 6 weeks in the NICU. One's bill was $110,000 and the other's was $140,000.

 

I hope you don't mind me asking this nosey question, but do you have insurance to cover your doctors visits and ultrasounds?

 

My twins were born at 26 weeks at 1lb 14 oz and 2lbs 1oz. They were in the NICU for 78 days and out NICU bill was well ove a million dollars as well. Good Luck to you!!!

By the way. They are well devloped amazing 19 month olds now!!!

 

I've always heard 24 weeks was the point of viability. If I were you I would look into state help, good luck :hug:

 

Are you on a group insurance plan or an individual plan? I ask because the rules are so different on an individual plan and what they will and won't cover. I also don't know why you would have to wait 180 days to be covered and I would go back and ask about it no matter what. Anyway, if you are self-covered (not a group plan) all your maternity stuff, including delivery, would not be covered unless you bought seperate maternity insurance prior to becoming pregnant. No one will cover you once you are already pregnant unless you have been on group insurance going to another group insurance policy. If you were on group and went without any insurance for 62 days, you would not be eligible for coverage for any pre-existing conditions of any nature. Hopefully you have had insurance up until now, and hopefully it was a group policy.
I hope you can get it all figured out. If you really can't afford insurance for the wait period, I'd look into social services in your state. Paying for OB visits, ultrasounds, possible complications and then delivery on your own would be a huge amount of money. My singleton delivery was $12,000- just the delivery, not the hopsital stay or well-baby care. You''ve already heard many examples of what a NICU stay for the babies could be. Prenatal care is not an option with a twin pregnancy either! So many things could happen. I'm not trying to scare you, honestly! Good luck

Kelly

 

Just so you aren't too worried.... The best places to call right now might be the Social Security Administration and your local Dept of Welfare. There are some rules and allowances for disability benefits for premature children, and some aren't income based. For example, mine were born at 28 weeks. I found out after we left the hospital that SSI would have picked up a portion of our bills if we didn't have the type of insurance we did. I also found out that I may have been eligible for a cash payment while they were in the hospital. (And that definitely could not have been income based, knowing our salaries at the time.) Also... several states will provide Medicaid coverage for preemies, even after they come home from the hospital...some without income limits. For example, in PA, my children qualified for Medicaid and WIC just because they were preemies. If you want to or can pick up health insurance before then, great. If not, this might be a good backup. (Part of why I say 'might'...some companies say pregnancy is a pre-existing condition, and also twin pregnancy as high risk.)

HTH! Good Luck!
-penny

 

24 wks is the point of viability. can you sign up for CHIP in your state??

 

I have to agree with the pp. Def check with your Social security office. Mine were born at 28 weeks and in the state I live in (PA), if the babies are born weighing less than 1200grams and spend at least 30 days past their birthdate in the hospital then your bills are covered 100%. My babies spent 2& 3 mos in the NICU and our bills were well over 1 million dollars and we didn't pay a dime. Plus we got a small amount each week they were in the nicu as well as their medical bills were covered for 1 year from the date of discharge. They don't take your income into account until then, thats when we got cut off. But it really helped us out as their bills were high as mine did have some problems. Most preemies have a years worth of check-ups to go to (nicu drs, opthamologists and such)

Good luck and hope you can keep your babies in as long as possible!

 

Seems like everyone here has this topic pretty well sewn up. Just offering encouragement and support. Hang in there, hopefully your babies will keep cooking well past the stage of viability and it won't be an issue!

 

Don't have an answer for you, but I would suggest that if you purchase a private plan to cover the gaps you find out EXACTLY what is covered so you can find if it is worth your while and be prepared so you don't have any nasty surprises. At least here in CA, at one point I looked at private plans- and most don't even cover any maternity at all! At the time I did not look to see if it covered care for preemies, etc. I was really surprised to find out what wasn't covered.

I don't know if private plans work the same, but with Kaiser, if babies are born on, lets say, February 1st, they are covered for all of February through the mother's plan, if they are born the last day of February they are only covered through the parent's plan the last day. I could be wrong, but I don't THINK that private insurance companies are obligated to add new babies onto the plan at all.

Sorry to bring up a nasty possibility of insurance, I hope it all works out and you are able to find good coverage. I am sorry about the work insurance waiting period- waiting periods suck!

 

QUOTE(Kyrstyn @ Oct 23 2008, 10:26 PM) [snapback]1038555[/snapback]
I think the average viability is 24 weeks, but there were a couple 22 and 23 weekers at our NICU when my girls were there.

Is there any way that you can get state health insurance since you are pregnant to fill in the gap? Those bills get expensive, not to mention all of your OB/peri appt's bills. My girls NICU bills were $110,000 each per week, and they were in there for 10 weeks...thank goodness we had insurance.

GL!! I hope you are able to get it all worked out!


Does your insurance cover the babies right from birth? Our insurance only starts to cover the babies after they're 3 weeks. Seems like all insurance company holds the same 'policy' here in Singapore!

 

QUOTE(muscaria10 @ Oct 24 2008, 11:31 PM) [snapback]1041274[/snapback]
Does your insurance cover the babies right from birth? Our insurance only starts to cover the babies after they're 3 weeks. Seems like all insurance company holds the same 'policy' here in Singapore!


Oh wow, that sucks! Insurance only starts (IMO) for you AFTER the greatest potential for expensive medical intervention. I'm so sorry to hear that!

 

QUOTE(muscaria10 @ Oct 25 2008, 12:31 AM) [snapback]1041274[/snapback]
Does your insurance cover the babies right from birth? Our insurance only starts to cover the babies after they're 3 weeks. Seems like all insurance company holds the same 'policy' here in Singapore!

Ours starts right at birth, I think most are like that here in the US, but I could be wrong. I've never heard of insurance not starting until 3 weeks after a baby is born. :huh: That stinks.

 

Well, I used to think that 3 weeks isn't so bad...now that I learnt yours covers from birth, it realli sucks!! <_<

 

Before purchasing ANYTHING you need to make sure that being pregnant isn't a pre-existing condition of sorts and/or that there is no waiting period for maternity benefits. Unfortunately MANY plans have these stipulations in them, so please make sure to read the fine print before investing in something that may not do you any good.