Consensus statement on perinatal care

Abstract

While there is general agreement with the framework of the consensus statements, it is at the margins of the 'grey zone', particularly at 23 weeks of gestation, that practice in other states appears to differ from practice in New South Wales (NSW)/Australian Capital Territory (ACT). This is evidenced by the lower regional survival in NSW/ACT at 23 weeks compared with other contemporaneous regional Australian cohorts, reflecting the discouragement of active intervention in NSW/ACT at this gestation. At the other end of the 'grey zone', surely active intervention, including prenatal transfer to a tertiary obstetric centre, should always be given to an otherwise uncomplicated 25-week infant? At any of these gestations, where infants survive, the majority are not severely disabled, leading us in this state to support initiation of intensive care to infants of marginal gestations where informed parents wish us to do so. The consensus conference questions and response rates by professional group should be published in full. © 2007 The Author.