Most of the pregnant women prefer having labor induced or an elective Cesarean delivery before the full term of their pregnancy. This may hinder child's development if they are born a little early latest study suggests.
The research states birth at 39 to 41 weeks is good for the baby in terms of development compared with birth at 37 to 38 weeks, which is usually considered 'normal' time for delivery.
"If the pregnancy is going well, it would be better to avoid doing elective C-sections early in the full-term window," said study author Dr. Betsy Lozoff, a professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Magaly Diaz-Barbosa, medical director of neonatology for Miami Children's Hospital said, unless it they is medical indication or risk, normal delivery is advisable rather than Cesarean.
Around 1,562 infants were studied when they were a year old. The researcher then acquired the information on the week of their delivery. All the babies were born in Chile and given birth by normal delivery. The average birth weight of these babies was 6.6 pounds.
The mental developmental test score of the babies increased very slightly, by 0.8, for every additional week in the womb. The scoring in the psychomotor that is related to body movement and coordination, increased by 1.4 points every week.
Dr. Lozoff suggested to the parents of the babies born early that they should be aware that their baby may lag slightly behind.
"They shouldn't be surprised if the baby is a bit less mature in eating, sleeping and overall behavior," she said. "This will generally improve."
The study is in the May issue of the journal Pediatrics.
