Reply to Stokes and Watson

Abstract

We appreciate the dialog initiated by Stokes and Watson1 in response to the publication regarding prenatal counseling beyond the threshold of viability.2 The need to counsel parents of risks and issues surrounding premature birth at >25 weeks gestation is being increasingly recognized. Recently, this journal published a supplemental issue entitled ‘Multidisciplinary Guidelines for the Care of Late Preterm Infants (LPI).’ In this publication the steering committee for the National Perinatal Association recommended that medical professionals ‘communicate risks of late preterm birth (prior to delivery, if possible), explaining that immature organ systems and brain of LPI may lead to complications….’3 In a study of counseling practices regarding premature infants in hospitals across the United States, Mehrotra et al.4 found that all 337 hospitals in the study routinely offered counseling to parents expecting birth up to 33 weeks gestation. However, there is not much information or discussion in the literature regarding the content or timing of this important parent–physician communication. With this publication we were hoping to generate similar dialog and more research in this area.