Birth & Parenting News: Early Elective Delivery

A recently released hospital survey by Leapfrog, a hospital quality watchdog group, found that hospital rates of early elective deliveries range from less than 5% to more than 40%. According to Leapfrog, this survey “is the first real evidence that the practice of scheduling newborn deliveries before 39 weeks without a medical reason is common and varied among hospitals even in the same state or community.”

Elective early deliveries contribute to the nation’s high preterm birth rate (which is much higher than in other industrialized countries) and the significant health complications experienced by premature babies. Although the preterm birth rate continued its downward trend for a third straight year in 2009, the March of Dimes’ recently released 2010 Premature Birth Report Card gave the U.S. a “D” grade as measured by Healthy People 2010 goals set at 7.6 percent. According to the CDC, the preterm birth for 2009 was 12.18 percent of all births.

There are known strategies that can lower the risk of an early birth, such as smoking cessation, preconception care, early prenatal care, progesterone treatments for women with a history of preterm birth, avoiding multiples from fertility treatments and avoiding unnecessary c-sections and inductions before 39 weeks of pregnancy.

In addition, according to a new study published in Journal of Reproductive Medicine, women having their first baby, elective induction of labor is associated with negative outcomes for the mother, including increased rates of cesarean delivery, greater blood loss, and an extended length of stay in the hospital, and does not provide any benefit for the newborn.

Each Wednesday, our Birth & Parenting News blog highlights the latest news items, research results, consumer alerts, and legislative action alerts of interest to expectant and new parents and the professionals who work them.

Posted by Patty Brennan on April 13, 2011 • Filed under Birth & Parenting News
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