Guideline
Perinatal Management of Extreme Preterm Birth Before 27 Weeks of Gestation: A BAPM Framework for Practice (2026)
BAPM2026published 9 February 2026; revision of the 2019 Framework
- Comfort and nursing care
- Communicating with families
- Delivery room and stabilisation
- Ethics
- Families and professional practice
- Family-integrated care
- Medical
- Neonatal transport
- Neurodevelopmental follow-up
- Nursing
- Palliative and end-of-life care
- Preterm stabilisation
- Transport
Summary
This BAPM Framework for Practice supports decision-making before and at the time of birth for babies born at or before 26 weeks and 6 days of gestation in the UK. It updates the 2019 Framework with clearer language and guidance for babies assessed to be at extremely high risk of dying, for whom comfort care should be provided. It includes updated survival, neurodevelopmental outcome and liveborn figures. It emphasises joint maternity and neonatal counselling with families and communication between centres when antenatal or postnatal transfer is considered.
Summary written for NICUlearn. Always read the original.
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Guidelines are shown for education. Follow your unit's own guidance and senior advice.