Duggar Baby 19

Michelle Duggar is a mom for the 19th time, and this time, it's to a micropreemie. Josie Brooklyn Duggar entered the world at 6:27 PM last night via emergency c-section, weighing in at just 1 lb 6 oz.

Michelle, who wasn't due to deliver her baby girl until March 20, was at The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences facility coping with gallbladder-related issues when doctors decided Josie needed to make her appearance.

A TLC network spokesperson for the Duggar family released a statement saying the Duggar baby is "stable" and that both Michelle and Josie are currently resting. Josie has been admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

As far as premature deliveries go, Duggar baby 19 had just edged her way into the realm of viability before being born at 25 weeks' gestation. The official golden number for preemies is somewhere between 23 and 24 weeks; prior to that age, most doctors and hospitals will refuse to administer life-saving treatment, saying that the children are too young to survive or that they will grow up facing too many challenges.

According to the Endowment for Human Development, 24 weeks is the target minimum age of gestation because of lung development. Around the 24-week mark, a baby's lungs will begin to produce surfactant, "a substance absolutely necessary for gas exchange" and by extention, successful breathing.

As medical technology continues to improve over time, though, there's a substantial amount of gray area and controversy surrounding whether or not a seriously premature baby should be entitled to life-saving efforts by medical professionals. As a parent, I can't imagine allowing my own perfectly healthy premature baby to die, even knowing that down the line, he or she would likely face physical and/or mental issues. Faith would play a role in my own decision, as it will for Michelle Duggar and husband Jim Bob and the rest of the Duggar family.