Overdue babies may have health risks

While it’s nice to let nature take its course during pregnancy much of the time, those who feel that doctors are out of line for not wanting their patients go beyond 42 weeks of pregnancy may want to learn of the results of two studies examining the health risks for the baby.

According to the research from two studies, babies who were born after 42 weeks gestation had a 23% increase in what is termed adverse outcomes. Women who were overdue had a higher risk of needing a Cesarean section (C-section), hemorrhaging or having other complications. And the babies had a higher risk of having meconium in the amniotic fluid and birth injuries. The scariest finding was that babies born late had a higher rate of dying within the first month of life than babies born at term.

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Tags: pregnancy blog, overdue babies, cesarean section, c-section, meconium, babies born late