Premature babies.

Recent research has shown that almost half of very premature babies develop a disability or learning difficulty. Mark Porter here investigates what might be done to help these children. He is joined by Neil Marlow, Professor of Neonatal Medicine at the University of Nottingham who is the lead author of the Epicure study, the first major study of the effects of prematurity on children in later life. Also featured are the links between prematurity and cerebral palsy, and the ethical questions surrounding medical treatment to prolong the life of a child born before 26 weeks old.