Kaitlynn's Place

I have never liked the idea of selective elective Cesarean deliveries. It is one thing if your health is at risk and you need to have a C-section early, but many parents are pressuring their OB provider to schedule early C-sections for convenience sake….for example,  a husband that works away and might miss the delivery.

Now comes a new study showing giving scientific backing as to why  selective elective Cesarean delivery is not really a wise thing to do.  It has been clear for a long time that extremely preterm babies, say 25 weeks gestation or so, have a much higher risk of special education needs. However, later term early deliveries, say 37-39 weeks gestation, have never been examined in relation to risk of special education needs.

The birth history of 400 thousand school aged children was  analyzed by Scottish researchers. They found that autism and or special education needs (dyslexia, poor vision, deafness, etc..) were 1.16 times greater for babies born at 37-39 weeks than those born at 40 weeks. 

Sources:
NHS: Early Babies and Special Needs

PLoS Medicine: Gestational Age at Delivery and Special Educational Need: Retrospective Cohort Study of 407,503 Schoolchildren

Medical News Today: Babies Born At 37 To 39 Weeks Have Higher Risk Of Autism And Special Educational Needs