what is fetal viability

Fetal viability refers to the ability of a human fetus to survive outside the uterus. Medical viability is generally considered to be between 23 and 24 weeks gestational age, although there is no single formally recognized clinical definition of viability. Viability depends on factors such as birth weight, gestational age, and the availability of neonatal intensive care. Fetal viability is not an intrinsic property of the fetus because it should be understood in terms of both biological and technological factors. Viability exists as a function of biomedical and technological capacities, which are different in different parts of the world. In the United States, viability is the potential of the fetus to survive outside the uterus after birth, natural or induced, when supported by up-to-date medicine. The chances of viability before 23 weeks are low, about 5 to 6 percent.