Definition Of Viable Fetus

This means that if the baby is born now s he has a reasonable chance of survival.

Definition of viable fetus. What people get wrong about abortion as the national debate on abortion has heated up so has the use and misuse of terminology related to. By contrast a nonviable pregnancy is one in which the fetus or baby has no chance of being born. What does it mean if the fetus is not viable. However being born at 23 24 weeks does not mean.

While the concept of a viable and nonviable pregnancy is relatively easy to grasp it is governed by strict definitions. Viability as the word has been used in united states constitutional law since roe v wade is the potential of the fetus to survive outside the uterus after birth natural or induced when supported by up to date medicine fetal viability depends largely on the fetal organ maturity and environmental conditions. Infanticide and death in the neonatal period viability of the fetus. If miscarriage or other abnormalities are not a concern in the case of a normally progressing pregnancy the term viable pregnancy or viable fetus may be used to describe a fetus that has developed in the uterus to the point that if it were to be born the baby would stand a reasonable chance of survival outside the uterus.

Another term is a viable baby fetus. Beauthier in encyclopedia of forensic and legal medicine second edition 2016. The fetus baby is viable. For most hospitals in the united states the age of viability is about 24 weeks though more recently viability has been considered around 23 weeks.

Fetal viability is a major issue that is dependent on the evolution and progress of modern neonatology beauthier 2007 it is generally accepted that a 28 week old fetus that doesn t need resuscitation is viable. According to websters encyclopedic unabridged dictionary of the. Historically a fetus was considered to be capable of living at the end of gestational week 20 when the mother had felt fetal movement quickening and the fetal heart tones could be auscultated with a fetoscope. In specific countries like the u s the distinction might carry important legal repercussions.

Late term abortion fetal viability heartbeat bill.