Rupture of membranes at 23 weeks

[BadHair]

Has anyone had this, and had a happy outcome?

My friend is 23 weeks pregnant and her membranes have just ruptured. She's in hospital. From what I've been reading baby's survival chances are very slim, but I may have just been reading the scary stuff. Has anyone got any experience of this? Is this treatable?

Am bit panicky so any advice or stories would be helpful. Am also at work so can only check back sporadically.

Oh, gosh. Doesn't sound good. But I think it's possible to turn out well. My husbands nephew was born at 28 weeks. It was scary at first. They didn't think he was going to make it. His dad could hold him in the palm of his hand. They had to go buy teddy bear clothes for him because he was so amall. He is now 8 years old and perfectly normal in every way.

A secreatry at work suffered this - but a few weeks earlier she was around 20 weeks if I remember. She held on in hospital for around another 8 weeks I think. her wee boy was very poorly, in neo-natal care for around 9 months I think and came still needing a great deal of care. However he is now 6 and aside from being a wee bit on the short-side and needing glasses is tickty-boo.

However I do know that at the time she was advised to prepare herself for the worse as such a good outcome was not expected.

I am sorry for your friend, she can I think only hope that the medical staff can delay delivery for as long as possible.

Best of luck to her and her baby.

Sorry obvioulsy was in hospital for 9 months not neo-natal care and he came home still needing care. i really need to learn to preview......

The chances are much much much better than they would have been just one or two weeks earlier. Every day that she can hold on before actually delivering will improve the chances further -- they still aren't great odds by any means, but there is very definitely hope. Best of luck to your friend and her baby.

My friends son was born at 23 weeks, but was induced due to severe pre-eclampsia (mother and baby would have both died otherwise). He has mild cerebal palsey now but is starting Reception in September in a main steem school. He does have learning dificulties but is absolutely fine. He was in hospital for over 3 months and still needed oxygen when he came home, but it probebly could have been loads worse.

Hospitals don't usually resusitate at 23 weeks, so its very important she trys to make it to a least 24 weeks, this is completely possible.
The main risks of rupture of membranes is infection so there should be no examinations and IV antibiotics need to be started (not metronidazole due to very recent research indicating it can cause preterm birth- drs may not know this yet as research was only published in february)
The next risk is labour starting which there is nothing they can do about that, unless after 24 weeks where tocolytics (labour stopping drugs) will be given to give enough time to administer steroids for babys lungs.

if baby is born at 24 weeks it will have a 40% survival rate although alot of these babies are severely disabled. Chances of survival grow quite quickly after 24 weeks and by 28 weeks babys have 90% survival rate with much less risk of disablity.
There is a good website \link{http://www.kanalen.org/prom\here}
gives advice on what to do to increase chances etc
Hope everything goes well:)

Any news?

No news to report, but thank you so much for replying, and for the link Slinkstah.

I really want to ring her to see if she's OK, but don't want to hassle her. I did say I'd ring at the end of the week so I guess I'll have to hold off till then. We don't live near each other so can't pop round.

I want to send her a goody-basket to pamper herself while she's sitting around worrying. Has anyone got any good ideas of what I can put in it? Thought of posh chocolate and fruit, but what products are good to pamper yourself with while you're sitting on sofa with your 2-yr old running round?