Women Pregnancy

Although the last couple weeks prior to delivery can be some of the most uncomfortable moments for pregnant moms, a study said that if moms can stick it out until the baby is 39-40 weeks, the infants will get benefits in their health. They will be less likely to have hearing, vision, feeding or birth-weight problems and even have their lungs, eyes, and brain fully developed for the final weeks give them enough time for those.

While it was thought that an infant’s mortality risk was similar for babies who born between 37 and 41 weeks, recent study shows that the risks increase when they are born between 37 and 39 weeks of gestation period. It was also said that this risk decreases with each additional week of pregnancy, so full-term pregnancies is highly recommended.

According to researcher, Uma M.Reddy, MD, MPH of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development in Bethesda, Maryland, moms should wait until at least 39 weeks to have a truly elective delivery. She also said that it doesn’t mean that they stop those who wish to labor at 37 weeks, however if the mothers are doing well and have no health issue, it is recommended to wait to 39 weeks because it will be best for them as well as their babies.

Based on data, the infant mortality in 2006 was 1.9 : 1,000 for babies who were born at 40 weeks, and this rate increased to 3.9 : 1000 for those who were born at 37 weeks. Although the risks of newborn deaths remain small, the risk doubles for those who are born before 37 weeks.

Alan R. Fleischman, MD, the medical director of the March of Dimes in White Plains, New York stated that people need to be aware that there are two definition of ‘term’. He explained that ‘term’ is actually a biologic continuum between 37 and 41 weeks – those who born early in ‘term’ are different than those who born at ‘full term.’

However, full term delivery is only applicable to women who have no medical reason to deliver before 39 weeks, as added by Dr Fleischman. Unfortunately, there is a group of women and doctors who opt for early delivery for the moms could not stand the uncomfortable feeling they had within the last four weeks of pregnancy.

J. Christopher Glantz, MD, MPH, a professor of maternal-fetal medicine at University of Rochester School of Medicine also agrees with full term deliveries, that according to him most babies will do alright at 37 weeks, but he also thinks that it does not make sense why a mom would take unnecessary risk by taking early delivery.