Prematurity

Prematurity means something that happens before it was actually supposed to and is most commonly used in reference to premature pregnancies that end before their due date. Prematurity is a category that applies to babies born before 37 weeks gestation in the womb. Prematurity can result in the delivery of an immature baby that is usually in need of medical support, it is the leading cause of neonatal mortality. The earliest a baby can survive outside of the womb, known as the age of viability, is around 22-24 weeks.