A recent study has found no significant improvement in the survival rate for very premature babies.
Research shows that babies born above 24 and 25 weeks gestation were more likely to survive now than in the past.
However, there was no improvement in the number of babies born before 24 weeks, the current limit for abortion.
The study analysed all severely premature births in this country in 2006 and compared the survival rate to that of those born in 1995.
From 1,300 live births before 26 weeks gestation, 952 babies survived long enough to be admitted into neonatal intensive care. 52% survived compared with 40% in 1995.
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