Every extra week in the womb helps your chances in life. A new study of very premature babies now shows how risky it is to come into the world at 23 weeks rather than the normal 40. Medical advance is giving babies a better chance of survival: 20 years ago 20% of British babies born weighing less than one kilo (2.2lb)-typically very premature-survived; now the figure is 80%. Some 7% of British babies are now born very early-one of the highest figures in the world, thanks to high rates of IVF and teenage pregnancy.
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