Doctors Save Premature Baby Using Sandwich Bag

Born 14 weeks early, Lexi Lacey owes her life to some MacGyver inspired doctors and a sandwich bag. Lexi was so small at birth that even the tiniest insulating jacket was too big, but she fit into a plastic sandwich bag nicely. ''The doctors told us they had never known a baby born as prematurely as Lexi survive. She was so tiny the only thing they had to keep her body temperature warm was a sandwich bag from the hospital canteen — it's incredible to think that saved her life," says her mom.

Comments

Re:more premature babies have survived

[magarity]

Premature birth is not a genetic condition so thers is no eugenics risk to saving premature babies:
  http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1157.asp#head2
There is only some additional costs at time of birth and risk of some health problems later in life that are also non-genetic.

Re:Wait till Ziploc gets sued.

[level_headed_midwest]

The brain and most of the internal organs develop relatively early during gestation. The lungs are the last major organ to mature and they are frequently what gives very premature infants trouble. Infants born before 32 weeks gestation don't produce surfactant (the stuff that keeps your lungs open so air can get in and out) themselves and can basically suffocate. Once you have them properly ventilated and such, they tend to do okay as long as they don't catch an infection. The immune system also is immature in a baby, but it generally doesn't really kick into gear until about 6 months of age for a normal infant, so it's not specific for premature infants.