Research Assessment

Subject: Advancements in Neonatology since 1973

Work Cited:
"Viability, Fetal Pain, InUtero Surgery, and Roe v. Wade." National Right to Life News,
11 Feb. 1998, p. 30. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=j043905005&v=2.1&id=GALE
%7CA55342477&it=r&asid=92c4bcfcb86456ec986a9650c11d2343. Accessed 25 Oct.
2017.
Date: October 25, 2017
In 1973 neonates born before 28 weeks gestation had no chance of survival. Now, in

2017 that has been changed to 23 weeks gestation, which is incredibly important for the neonatal

world. Twenty-five years ago, the medical advancements in neonatology were close to none. It

was just beginning to grow as a separate subspecialty of pediatrics, and most neonatologist knew

little about the development and treatment of neonates. The equipment, medications, physicians,

and specialized units available were extremely limited, and mad it difficult for every neonate to

have access to the small medical field and get the help they needed.

In the past twenty-five years infants who were once considered nonviable in 1973, are

now considered viable with the medical advancements in neonatology, which has vastly

decreased infant mortality rates. There has also been an increase in literature regarding the care

of pre-mature neonates, which has strengthened the survival rates for neonates born at 23 weeks

gestation. Research has allowed for specialists to gain new knowledge on the development of

pain in the fetus. From using ultrasonographic findings, it has been seen that there are specific

fetal movements in response to needle punctures in the utero. Fetuses between 20 and 34 weeks

of gestation have showed that hormonal responses were consistent with fetal perception of pain.

These advancements have given specialists better understandings of neonates ability to feel

pain. It has also been found that pre-term neonates are highly sensitive to pain, which shows that

they have well-coordinated physiological and behavioral responses to main. This means that they
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have developed enough to feel pain, even though they have been born at (in some cases) 23

weeks gestation.

In 1973, pre-term neonates were also unable to go into surgery because of the little

research about infant anesthesia. Most pre-term neonates were considered too ill to tolerate the

effects of anesthesia in order to undergo the surgery they needed to help their survival chances.

Today, there is an enormous fund of new medical findings about neonatal surgeries, and this has

allowed for further advancements in pediatric anesthesia.

There is also perinatal hospice, which is when a family is informed that their child has a

condition that is likely to be fatal upon birth. This concept allows for parents to be with their

child in the few hours they are alive, and be a family for the short amount time they have been

given to spend time with their child and experience them. This has been found to help families

cope with the grieving process and the loss of their child, because they were given the

opportunity to embrace the newest member of their family, for that short period of time.

This article opened my mind to how much the neonatal field has advanced in the past

twenty-five years. It is eye-opening to see that once neonates born before 28 weeks gestation,

were not viable and would not survive. Now, that has been pushed back by about five weeks, and

survival rates has increased largely due to the many new studies about neonatology.