Professor Fionnuala McAuliffe:

I reiterate that we are talking about a small number of rare cases in which there is a substantial risk to the life of the mother. If we feel this risk can only be averted by the delivery of the baby - whether that is before viability or afterwards - that will be part of the care package. These decisions are made in conjunction with the mother, her family and a number of health care professionals. Of course we always include the life of the baby. If we feel we can prolong the pregnancy, absolutely we will do so. We may feel we are looking at a situation in which the life of the woman is in imminent danger, however. If the mother dies, the baby dies. If we can preserve the life of the mother, that gives the baby the best chance to continue. We take a team approach, including the family, when making these complex decisions. When the baby has reached any chance of survival, we always offer appropriate support.