Babies born at 24-weeks or earlier: Then and Now

A baby’s survival should not be dependent upon their state of origin. Premature babies born between 22-24 weeks are surviving at record rates, yet over half of all U.S. states, including Pennsylvania, permit abortion at this same time in pregnancy. Some states still have no restrictions on when an abortion may occur.

Thanks to recent medical advancements, the majority of babies born at 24 weeks now survive and many born earlier than 24 weeks are now thriving. Here are just a few children born at 24 weeks or earlier, pictured today with their newborn photo:

Callie – born at 22 weeks

Callie is from Ocean Springs, Mississippi. She loves rolling, learning how to sit and eating sweet potatoes. Mississippi permits abortion up to 20 weeks.

Emma – born at 24 weeks

Emma is from York, PA. She is a straight-A student, loves reading, Disney and dancing. Pennsylvania permits abortion up to 24 weeks.

Jackson – born at 24 weeks

Jackson is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He enjoys dancing to country music and playing ball. Pennsylvania permits abortion up to 24 weeks – if Jackson was born just 1/2 hour earlier, would have been 23 weeks.

Leah – born at 23 weeks

Leah is from Dallas, Texas. She excels in schools, loves singing, reading and coloring. Texas permits abortion up to 20 weeks.

Lydia – born at 25 weeks

Lydia is from Annville, Pennsylvania. She is very active, loves playing dress up and pretending she’s a princess. Pennsylvania permits abortion up to 24 weeks – if Lydia was born five hours earlier, she would have been 24 weeks. 

Sofia – born at 23 weeks

Sofia is from Farmingdale, New York. She loves watching online videos and doing puzzles. New York permits abortion up to 24 weeks.

Will – born at 24 weeks

Will is from Trafford, Pennsylvania. He is a straight-A student, loves playing baseball and video games. Pennsylvania permits abortion up to 24 weeks.

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Twenty-one states have updated their abortion limits to only the first five-months of pregnancy (20 weeks). Yet the rest of the U.S. sadly continues to permit an extreme abortion policy that only exists in six other countries, including North Korea and China.

Pennsylvania continues an archaic abortion limit of 24 weeks, the same time PA residents like Emma and Will were born.

If you have a loved one born at 24 weeks or earlier and would like to include their picture in this photo series, contact Dan at dbart@pafamily.org.