I'm not disputing anything you're saying - I'm just saying that picture is pro-life propaganda. It's not realistic and it doesn't take into consideration any of the things that people like you who have VERY premature babies go through, or any actual real life situations.
And I have to correct myself - I didn't mean `advanced development' as in developmental stages of childhood - I meant it as you described it (much better than me). I.e. that medical intervention mimics the state of the womb and helps the baby outside the womb develop physically more quickly to cope with the requirements of being out of the womb - for example, lung development. I know from a study I worked on (data entry), on premature births, that the actual childhood development of very early term babies can be severely compromised.
As for eyes opening - I got my information from a brochure called `The NICU Experience'
Here's the link:
http://www.nationaldb.org/documents/...Experience.swf
It specifically says that eyes do not open before month 7 - therefore for premature babies born before week 26 - 27, the eyes can still be sealed shut and therefore very distressing for the parents. Their eyelids are only forming in week 22 - so I wasn't just talking out of my butt!!
