New research carried out by the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin has revealed a 100% survival rate of premature babies born at 28 weeks.
The results were released to coincide with World Prematurity Day.
Around 4,500 babies are born prematurely in Ireland every year.
However over the past few decades, survival of infants less than 25 weeks has increased.
To celebrate premature infants born at the Rotunda Hospital, the Rotunda Foundation hosted a party in their honour on Thursday.
All babies born in 2016 who weighed less than 1,500 grams - along with their parents and siblings - joined together to celebrate World Prematurity Day.
Today is #WorldPrematurityDay. The Rotunda Hospital is celebrating with a party for babies who were born weighing under 1500 grams in 2016. Look at them now! pic.twitter.com/AJoSmF0JdG
— Kim Buckley (@KiiimBuckley) November 15, 2018
They also marked a successful year of 'Tentacles for Tinies' - a pilot project launched by the Rotunda Hospital last year.
A premature baby is one born before 37 completed weeks gestation. In babies born preterm, the chance of survival at less than 22 weeks is close to zero.
At 23 weeks it is 19%, at 24 weeks 40%, at 25 weeks about 66% and at 26 weeks 77%.
Since 2012 the percentage of premature deliveries (less than 36 weeks gestation) has increased each year from 5.1% of all deliveries in 2012, to 5.5% of all deliveries in 2015.
The hospital has also announced its 2017 annual clinical report, which showed the survival rate of normal babies born premature at 28 weeks or later was 100%.
File photo
Commenting on the results, Master of the Rotunda Hospital Professor Fergal Malone said: "I am delighted to announce these results on World Prematurity Day, which is one of the most important days in the year to raise awareness of the challenges that families face as result of a preterm birth.
"One of the main risk factors for preterm birth is having delivered preterm in a prior pregnancy, followed by medical complications such as blood pressure problems during pregnancy or poor fetal growth.
"The team at the Rotunda utilises the latest cutting edge research to optimize the early diagnosis of preterm birth, preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction.
"Combined with significant improvements in integrated obstetric and neonatal care, this underpins these excellent outcome results for some of our most vulnerable babies.
"More families than ever now have healthy surviving babies because of continued advances in obstetric and neonatal care at the Rotunda".
