According to a research published in American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the number of fetal deaths that could be avoided by delivery is greater than the number of neonatal deaths that would be possible by delivery around 37 to 38 weeks' growth.
With the help of data from the National Center for Health Statistics, researchers studied the most favorable gestational age for delivery by comparing the risk of death for those fetuses remaining undelivered with the rate of neonatal death for each week of growth.
The researchers said, the risk of fetal death declined between 34 and 40 weeks' development, but again increased when a pregnancy reached its term. Fetal death risk was higher for undelivered babies in high-risk pregnancies than for low-risk pregnancies. By 37 to 38 weeks' gestation, the number of fetal deaths was more than the number of neonatal deaths.
"The data reported herein suggest that the 'optimal time for delivery' is not necessarily the same for everyone, and, as is often the case in the practice of medicine, providers should individualize their approach for each patient," Alicia Mandujano, MD, MetroHealth Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland said.
