How medical technology is changing the conversation about fetal viability

Advances in medical technology have pushed the boundaries of fetal viability, a term for the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb. When the Supreme Court handed down the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, doctors could support babies delivered as early as about 28 weeks. Now, it’s 22 weeks. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams speaks with Dr. Rachel Fleishman, who works in a neonatal intensive care unit at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. She wrote an essay for NBC about viability, and what it’s like caring for very premature infants. Your donation powers the journalism you rely on. Give today to support “Marketplace Tech.”