Jan 22 2009
C-Section News: Best to Wait for Week 39
A new study released finds that the risk of complications from a c-section are dramatically reduced if the baby is delivered no earlier than 39 weeks gestation. The full article can be found here but the summary is that even the few days of development between 38 1/2 and 39 weeks make a difference for the health of the baby.
The most complications in babies born via c-section prior to 39 weeks were due to breathing and lung development problems. Here are the statistics: 15% born at 37 weeks had complications, 11% born at 38 weeks had complications, and 8% had complications at 39 weeks.
This is surprising since c-sections are becoming more common for a variety of reasons and are typically scheduled before 39 weeks. My upcoming c-section is schedule at 38.5 weeks (see my previous post for more on my irritation about this) but as I mentioned before I was not given much of an option about the date. I did request that it be a few days later which would have put me at 39 weeks but my doctor’s office was adimate about their schedule so sometimes I guess you have to bite the bullet. 
