Babies Delivered by C-Section Before 39 Weeks More Likely to Have Serious Health Problems
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A new study has found that babies delivered by elective Caesarean section before 39 weeks of pregnancy, to mothers who previously had an elective C-section, are much more likely to have serious health problems than newborns delivered under the same circumstances at 39 weeks.The study, conducted in part at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, also found that babies delivered at 41 and 42 weeks faced a similarly elevated risk as those delivered before 39 weeks. However, only a very small percentage of newborns in the study were delivered this late.
"What we found is there's a very tiny window between 39 and 40 weeks where baby outcomes are optimal, and any deviation before or after that 39th week results in increased risk," said John Thorp, M.D., study co-author and McAllister Distinguished Professor and division director for women's primary healthcare in the obstetrics and gynecology department at UNC.
These results are important, Thorp said, because all of the health problems associated with delivery before 39 weeks exact a heavy toll on families, both emotionally and financially. This in turn leads to increased health care costs for society at large.
"Babies born prior to 39 weeks have more feeding difficulties, more breathing difficulties and need more medical support, whether it be artificial ventilation or oxygen support or some form of tube feeding," he said.
(Source)
posted by The Mom Salon Editors @ 7:38 AM,
