A pregnancy is considered full term when it reaches week 37, although we know that Ideally, the baby remains inside the uterus as long as possibleWell, during these last weeks, there are still many important changes in its development.
However, just as being born prematurely increases the presence of certain risks, being born late also increases the risk of some complications. Now, according to an important recent study, after the 41st week of pregnancy, the risk of fetal death increases significantly.
The study
Published in the magazine BMJ and conducted by Queen Mary University of London, the study consisted of a thorough investigation in which data from more than 15 million pregnancies were analyzed included in 13 studies carried out in the United Kingdom, the United States, Denmark and Norway.
In Babies and more What happens after over 42 weeks of pregnancyIn total, 15,124,027 pregnancies, 17,830 fetal deaths and 2,348 neonatal deaths were analyzed, and according to the researchers, It is the largest studio of its kind, which finally provides accurate estimates about the possible risks of stillbirth.
It is necessary to clarify the different terms that exist about this type of loss. When we talk about fetal death, we mean babies who die inside the uterus after the 20th week of pregnancy and exceed 500 grams of weight, while neonatal deaths occur when the baby is already born, and occur within the first 28 days of life.
According to the study, after 41 weeks of gestation, which is considered "late" and within the range of a normal pregnancy, there is a significant increase in the risk of fetal death, compared to those babies born in the 40th week of pregnancy.
Although this is an important fact, we should not be alarmed or get ahead and induce labor, since the researchers clarify that although the risk increases, the chances of a fetal death occurring is low, it happens in one of every 1,449 pregnancies.
The results of this study are along the lines of another one conducted long ago in Australia, in which 30 randomized controlled trials with more than 12,000 pregnant women were analyzed. In it, it was found that inducing labor after week 41 of gestation can save the baby's life, instead of continuing to wait for the delivery to be naturally triggered or to perform a C-section.
The risks of a late birth
Ideally, in a normal and healthy pregnancy, it is to let the baby decide when to be born and wait for the delivery to be triggered spontaneously and not advance it, because every week inside the uterus is essential for the development of the baby.
However, we must remember what we mentioned at the beginning, just as having a premature delivery increases the appearance of some complications, having a late delivery also causes other risks to arise.
In Babies and more, being born in week 37 is not the same as being born in 42For example, among the risks that arise if the delivery is delayed is that the baby grows too much, which could cause complications during birth, or that its size compresses the umbilical cord, that the placenta stops supplying nutrients necessary for the baby or suffering from lack of oxygen and make your first bowel movements inside the uterus.
When you reach the final stretch of pregnancy you can try to advance the delivery naturally, but when it does not happen and time continues to progress, in hospitals there is a protocol procedure, in which Arriving at week 41, pregnant women are offered the option of inducing it.
In Babies and more Induction of labor: in which cases it is performed, when and what risks it entails The results of these studies rather than being cause for alarm, they are a reminder about the importance of frequent checks during the last weeks of pregnancy, especially when the baby has passed the 40 weeks, so that the health personnel can detect any possible risk and make the pertinent decisions to protect the life of mother and baby.
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Via | The herald
