Perspectives on periviable birth from the parents of surviving infants

Advances in neonatal medicine now make survival possible from 22 weeks of gestation.1 However, infants born in the periviable period face high risks of death and long-term disability. Decisions about whether to initiate survival-focused intensive care or provide comfort care are often made in emotionally charged and uncertain circumstances, requiring parents to absorb difficult information while experiencing trauma, fear and loss of control.2 Research exploring parental perspectives around periviable birth, particularly the experiences of parents from the United Kingdom, is limited.