Life At Any Price

Both in industrialized nations and in developing countries, more and more children are being born prematurely – 13 million babies worldwide every year. Some of them are born after barely 22 weeks of pregnancy; they weigh less than 500 grams and are no more than 30 centimeters long. These are so-called “extreme preemies.” Just a few years ago, no one would have believed these babies had a chance at life, yet more and more often, medical professionals succeed in saving these tiny beings from death with the help of high-tech medicine. But what does this mean for the parents – and for the children?