> Complicating this further is the fact that outcomes differ significantly across the U.S., with some leading hospitals able to keep twice as many 22-week-old babies alive as the national average, and occasionally able to keep babies born as early as 21 weeks alive.

The hard truth that many don’t want to face about prematurity is that the odds of survival at 24 or even 23 weeks are actually quite high, IF the baby is lucky enough to be born in the right facility. The odds at 22 weeks and even 21 weeks are not a lock but actually much better than you’d think.

We don’t actually need new science to radically improve prematurity outcomes. We just need to invest money in equipping and training more NICUs.

My son was born at 26 weeks, luckily in New York City where the standard of care is excellent (level 3 on a scale of 1-4) at even the second-tier NICUs, and where the highest possible standard of care is never more than a short ambulance ride away.

To put it bluntly: in NYC, a 26-weeker is 90% likely to survive to term. In some areas of the country a 26-weeker is 90% likely to die. The averages cited here flatten out this reality and make the problem seem more scientific and less social than it actually is.