Elective Deliveries and Neonatal Outcomes in Full-Term Pregnancies.

In this study, we use population-level data on births in New Jersey between 1997 and 2011 to document trends in elective deliveries (induced vaginal delivery, caesarean section with no labor trial, and caesarean section after induction) and estimate logistic and linear regression models of associations between delivery method and neonatal morbidities and cost-related outcomes in low-risk pregnancies. We found that elective deliveries more than doubled during the observation period and were associated with neonatal morbidities and cost-related outcomes even at 39 and 40 weeks of GA. Findings suggest that delaying beyond 39 weeks and avoiding delivery interventions when not medically necessary would improve infant health and reduce healthcare costs. PMID: 30698621 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Am J Epidemiol - Category: Epidemiology Authors: Tags: Am J Epidemiol Source Type: research