The tiniest babies: Shifting the boundary of life earlier

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Growing numbers of extremely premature infants are getting lifesaving treatment and surviving. Over the last half century, medical science has slowly shifted the boundary of what is known as viability ever earlier. While the concept of viability has long been associated with the abortion debate, it is a changing line that has little to do with most abortions. More than 99% of abortions occur at or before 21 weeks, according to federal statistics. It is a real concern for doctors, though, as they try to care for these children, who are highly susceptible to disabilities such as cerebral palsy, cognitive impairments, blindness and severe lung problems.