Cognitive and academic outcomes of large-for-gestational-age babies born at early term: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Early induction of labor (37+0-38+6 gestational weeks) in large-for-gestational-age infants may reduce perinatal risks such as shoulder dystocia, but it may also increase the long-term risks of reduced cognitive abilities. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the cognitive and academic outcomes of large-for-gestational-age children born early term versus full term (combined or independent exposures). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database under the registration no. CRD42024528626. Five databases were searched from their inception until March 27, 2024, without language restrictions. Studies reporting childhood cognitive or academic outcomes after early term or large-for-gestational-age births were included. Two reviewers independently screened the selected studies. One reviewer extracted the data, and the other double-checked the data. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. In addition to narrative synthesis, meta-analyses were conducted where possible. RESULTS: Of the 2505 identified articles, no study investigated early-term delivery in large-for-gestational-age babies. Seventy-six studies involving 11 460 016 children investigated the effects of either early-term delivery or large-for-gestational-age. Children born at 37 weeks of gestation (standard mean difference, -0.13; 95% confidence interval, -0.21 to -0.05), but not at 38 weeks (standard mean difference, -0.04; 95% confidence interval, -0.08 to 0.002), had lower cognitive scores than those born at 40 weeks. Large-for-gestational-age children had slightly higher cognitive scores than appropriate-for-gestational-age children (standard mean difference, 0.06; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.11). Similar results were obtained using the outcomes of either cognitive impairment or academic performance. CONCLUSIONS: No study has investigated the combined effect of early-term delivery on cognitive scores in large-for-gestational-age babies. Early-term delivery may have a very small detrimental effect on cognitive scores, whereas being large for gestational age may have a very small benefit. However, evidence from randomized controlled trials or observational studies is required.

Gestational Age and Neurodevelopmental Delay in Term Births at 6 and 12 Months: The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).

BACKGROUND: In the recent years, a high risk of developmental delay not only in very low birth weight infants and late preterm infants but also in early term infants (37-38 weeks) have increasingly been reported. However, in Japan, there are virtually no studies regarding the development delays in early term infants. METHODS: This study used the data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), a birth cohort study conducted in Japan. Data were selected for analysis from the records of 104,065 fetal records. The risk of neurodevelopmental delays at 6 months and 12 months after birth was evaluated using multivariate analysis for infants of various gestational ages, using the 40th week of pregnancy as a reference value. Neurodevelopment was evaluated at 6 months and 12 months after birth using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Japanese translation (J-ASQ-3). RESULTS: The proportion of infants born at a gestational age of 37 to 38 weeks who did not reach the J-ASQ-3 score cutoff value was significantly higher in all areas at both 6 months and 12 months after birth, when compared to that of infants born at 40 weeks. The odds ratio decreased at 12 months after birth compared to that at 6 months after birth. CONCLUSION: Early term infants in Japan are at an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delay at 12 months after birth.

Long-term neurological outcomes of offspring misdiagnosed with fetal growth restriction.

OBJECTIVE: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a major determinant of adverse short- and long-term perinatal outcomes. The current definition of FGR (estimated fetal weight measurement < 10th percentile) may lead, at times, to a false diagnosis of fetuses that are eventually born appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Our objective was to investigate the potential association between a misdiagnosis of antepartum fetal growth restriction and long-term neurological outcomes in offspring. STUDY DESIGN: A population-based cohort analysis was performed including deliveries between the years 1991-2020 in a tertiary medical center. We compared neurological hospitalization during childhood among AGA infants falsely diagnosed as FGR versus AGA infants without a false FGR diagnosis. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to assess cumulative morbidity and a Cox proportional hazards model was employed to control for confounders. RESULTS: During the study period, 324,620 AGA infants met the inclusion criteria; 3249 of them were falsely classified as FGR. These offspring had higher rates of hospitalizations due to various neurological conditions, as compared to those without an FGR diagnosis (OR 1.431, 95% CI 1.278-1.608; P < 0.001). In addition, cumulative hospitalization incidence was elevated in the FGR group (log-rank P-value < 0.001). When controlling for confounders, a false FGR diagnosis remained independently associated with long-term neurological morbidities (adjusted HR 1.086, 95% CI 1.003-1.177, P = 0.043). CONCLUSION: Misdiagnosis of FGR in the antepartum period is associated with an increased risk for offspring long-term neurological morbidities.

The Relationship Between Early Term Birth and the Risk of Later Childhood Mental Disorders Within a Pregnancy Cohort.

This study examines whether gestational age, birth weight, and early term birth is associated with childhood mental disorders in 342 pregnant women recruited at less than 20 weeks gestation and were then followed up until 4 years postpartum, including 93 children born at early term. Women were assessed at recruitment using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM. At 4 years of age their children were assessed using the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). This study found earlier birth predicted an increased risk for anxiety disorders and demonstrated a significant interaction between gestational age and lower birthweight. The risk for ADHD increased with lower gestational age independent of birthweight. In contrast, gestational age was not associated with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, internalizing or externalizing symptoms. These findings highlight the important differences in the association of early term birth and vulnerability for specific mental disorders.

Cesarean sections and early-term births according to Robson classification: a population-based study with more than 17 million births in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Cesarean section (CS) rates are increasing worldwide and are associated with negative maternal and child health outcomes when performed without medical indication. However, there is still limited knowledge about the association between high CS rates and early-term births. This study explored the association between CSs and early-term births according to the Robson classification. METHODS: A population-based, cross-sectional study was performed with routine registration data of live births in Brazil between 2012 and 2019. We used the Robson classification system to compare groups with expected high and low CS rates. We used propensity scores to compare CSs to vaginal deliveries (1:1) and estimated associations with early-term births using logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 17,081,685 live births were included. Births via CS had higher odds of early-term birth (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.32-1.32) compared to vaginal deliveries. Births by CS to women in Group 2 (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.49-1.51) and 4 (OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.56-1.58) showed the highest odds of early-term birth, compared to vaginal deliveries. Increased odds of an early-term birth were also observed among births by CS to women in Group 3 (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.29-1.31), compared to vaginal deliveries. In addition, live births by CS to women with a previous CS (Group 5 - OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.35-1.37), a single breech pregnancy (Group 6 - OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.11-1.21, and Group 7 - OR 1.19; 95% CI 1.16-1.23), and multiple pregnancies (Group 8 - OR 1.46; 95% CI 1.40-1.52) had high odds of an early-term birth, compared to live births by vaginal delivery. CONCLUSIONS: CSs were associated with increased odds of early-term births. The highest odds of early-term birth were observed among those births by CS in Robson Groups 2 and 4.

Uncharted territory: a narrative review of parental involvement in decision-making about late preterm and early term delivery.

Almost 30% of live births in England and Wales occur late preterm or early term (LPET) and are associated with increased risks of adverse health outcomes throughout the lifespan. However, very little is known about the decision-making processes concerning planned LPET births or the involvement of parents in these. This aim of this paper is to review the evidence on parental involvement in obstetric decision-making in general, to consider what can be extrapolated to decisions about LPET delivery, and to suggest directions for further research.A comprehensive, narrative review of relevant literature was conducted using Medline, MIDIRS, PsycInfo and CINAHL databases. Appropriate search terms were combined with Boolean operators to ensure the following broad areas were included: obstetric decision-making, parental involvement, late preterm and early term birth, and mode of delivery.This review suggests that parents' preferences with respect to their inclusion in decision-making vary. Most mothers prefer sharing decision-making with their clinicians and up to half are dissatisfied with the extent of their involvement. Clinicians' opinions on the limits of parental involvement, especially where the safety of mother or baby is potentially compromised, are highly influential in the obstetric decision-making process. Other important factors include contextual factors (such as the nature of the issue under discussion and the presence or absence of relevant medical indications for a requested intervention), demographic and other individual characteristics (such as ethnicity and parity), the quality of communication; and the information provided to parents.This review highlights the overarching need to explore how decisions about potential LPET delivery may be reached in order to maximise the satisfaction of mothers and fathers with their involvement in the decision-making process whilst simultaneously enabling clinicians both to minimise the number of LPET births and to optimise the wellbeing of women and babies.

[Neuropsychological development of large for gestational age infants at the age of 12 months]. / 大于胎龄儿12æœˆé¾„ç¥žç»å¿ƒç†å‘è‚²çŠ¶å†µç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the level of neuropsychological development in large for gestational age (LGA) infants at the age of 12 months. METHODS: The infants, aged 12 to <13 months, who attended the Outpatient Service of Child Care in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from December 2021 to June 2023, were enrolled as subjects. According to the gestational age and birth weight, they were divided into preterm appropriate for gestational age (AGA) group, preterm LGA group, early term AGA group, early term LGA group, full-term AGA group, and full-term LGA group. A modified Poisson regression analysis was used to investigate the association between LGA and neuropsychological development outcome at 12 months of age. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding factors, compared with the full-term AGA group at the age of 12 months, the full-term LGA group had a significant increase in the risk of language deficit (RR=1.364, 95%CI: 1.063-1.750), the early term LGA group had significant increases in the risk of abnormal gross motor, fine motor, language, and the preterm LGA group had significant increases in the risk of abnormal language, social behavior, and total developmental quotient (P<0.05); also, the early term AGA group had higher risks of developmental delay across all five attributes and in total developmental quotient at the age of 12 months (P<0.05); except for the language attribute, the preterm AGA group had higher risks of developmental delay in the other 4 attributes (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The neuropsychological development of LGA infants with different gestational ages lags behind that of full-term AGA infants at 12 months of age, and follow-up and early intervention of such infants should be taken seriously in clinical practice.

Risk of early birth by body mass index in a propensity score-matched sample: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the risk of preterm (<37 weeks) or early term birth (37 or 38 weeks) by body mass index (BMI) in a propensity score-matched sample. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort analysis. SETTING: California, USA. POPULATION: Singleton live births from 2011-2017. METHODS: Propensity scores were calculated for BMI groups using maternal factors. A referent sample of women with a BMI between 18.5 and <25.0 kg/m2 was selected using exact propensity score matching. Risk ratios for preterm and early term birth were calculated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Early birth. RESULTS: Women with a BMI <18.5 kg/m2 were at elevated risk of birth of 28-31 weeks (relative risk [RR] 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.4), 32-36 weeks (RR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2-1.3), and 37 or 38 weeks (RR 1.1, 95% CI 1.1-1.1). Women with BMI ≥25.0 kg/m2 were at 1.2-1.4-times higher risk of a birth <28 weeks and were at reduced risk of a birth between 32 and 36 weeks (RR 0.8-0.9) and birth during the 37th or 38th week (RR 0.9). CONCLUSION: Women with a BMI <18.5 kg/m2 were at elevated risk of a preterm or early term birth. Women with BMI ≥25.0 kg/m2 were at elevated risk of a birth <28 weeks. Propensity score-matched women with BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2 were at decreased risk of a spontaneous preterm birth with intact membranes between 32 and 36 weeks, supporting the complexity of BMI as a risk factor for preterm birth. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Propensity score-matched women with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 were at decreased risk of a late spontaneous preterm birth.

Impact of early term and late preterm birth on infants' neurodevelopment: evidence from a cohort study in Wuhan, China.

BACKGROUND: The incidences of early term and late preterm birth have increased worldwide during recent years. However, there is a lack of prospective study about the influence of early term and late preterm birth on infants' neurodevelopment, especially at the early stage. Therefore, we conducted this cohort study to investigate the impact of early term and late preterm birth on infants' neurodevelopment within 6 months. METHODS: This cohort study was conducted in Wuhan, China, between October 2012 and September 2013. A total of 4243 singleton infants born within 34-41 weeks of gestation at Wuhan Children's Hospital were included. The Gesell Developmental Scale (GDS) was utilized to evaluate the neurodevelopment of infants. RESULTS: Among the 4243 included participants, 155 (3.65%) were late preterm infants, 1288 (30.36%) were early term infants, and 2800 (65.99%) were full term infants. After adjusted for potential confounders, significant negative relationship was shown between late preterm birth and development quotient (DQ) in all domains of neurodevelopment: gross motor (ß = - 17.42, 95% CI: - 21.15 to - 13.69), fine motor (ß = - 23.61, 95% CI: - 28.52 to - 18.69), adaptability (ß = - 10.10, 95% CI: - 13.82 to - 6.38), language (ß = - 6.28, 95% CI: - 9.82 to - 2.74) and social behavior (ß = - 5.99, 95% CI: - 9.59 to - 2.39). There was a significant negative trend for early term birth in DQ of fine motor (ß = - 2.01, 95% CI: - 3.93 to - 0.09). Late preterm infants had a significantly elevated risk of neurodevelopmental delay in domains of gross motor (adjusted OR = 3.82, 95% CI: 2.67 to 5.46), fine motor (adjusted OR = 3.51, 95% CI: 2.47 to 5.01), and adaptability (adjusted OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.29), whereas early term birth was significantly associated with neurodevelopmental delay of fine motor (adjusted OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.42). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that late preterm birth mainly elevated the risk of neurodevelopmental delay of gross motor, fine motor, and adaptability, whereas early term birth was associated with the developmental delay of fine motor within 6 months. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness and necessity of the interventions at the early stage for early term and late preterm infants who had suspected neurodevelopmental delay.

Timing of delivery in antenatal fetal hydronephrosis: a snap shot social media survery of obstetric and fetal medicine practice.

OBJECTIVES: To identify when obstetricians would deliver a fetus with antenatal hydronephrosis and normal liquor. Designed as snap-shot survey. Setting: Survey Monkey link. Population/sample were obstetrics and fetal medicine consultants who received the survey link via closed professional forums on the North West Coast Maternity Clinical Network, Facebook, and publicly on Twitter. METHODS: Survey link publicised as above, obstetric consultants were asked at what gestation would they deliver a fetus with antenatal hydronephrosis and normal liquor; and what criteria would they use to make that decision. Main outcome measures were number of years in practice, gestation at delivery, anteroposterior diameter (APD) of renal pelvis. RESULTS: A total of 44/102 respondents (43%) would deliver prior to 40 weeks (median no. of years as consultant 10 years [IQR 5-17]) vs. those who would not (median years as consultant 5.5 [IQR 3-12]). Re APD threshold of delivery: 17 indicated delivery if the APD were 20 mm, 10 if it were 21-30 mm and 16 if it were >30 mm. Re gestation at which they would deliver: 13 indicated 37-38 weeks, 13 indicated 38-39 weeks and 17 indicated 39-40 weeks. Reasons selected for delivery before term were obstetric anxiety n=2, maternal request n=2, maternal anxiety n=2 and concern about fatal renal damage/renal damage n=34. CONCLUSIONS: A surprising number of respondents would consider early delivery of a fetus with hydronephrosis and normal liquor despite the lack of evidence of benefit. The evidence supporting term delivery means that early term delivery is only indicated for obstetric reasons in this scenario.

The effect of mode of delivery and duration of labour on subsequent pregnancy outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether delivery mode and duration of labour in a first labour of spontaneous onset is associated with gestational length, delivery mode and neonatal outcome in the subsequent pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. SETTING: 15 Maternity units in North West London (1988-2000). POPULATION: 30 840 women with spontaneous onset of labour in pregnancy 1 and a subsequent birth reported in the same database. METHODS: Assessment of outcomes by mode of delivery in pregnancy 1, restricting the analysis to the difference in the gestational length between pregnancy 1 and 2. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Gestational length, mode of delivery and neonatal unit admission in pregnancy 2. RESULTS: Caesarean section (CS) in the first or second stage of labour in pregnancy 1 was associated with pregnancy 2 being a median of 5 and 8 days shorter and a preterm birth rate of 6.0% and 10.1%, respectively, whereas following a normal or instrumental vaginal birth in pregnancy 1, the median duration was similar, with preterm delivery rates of 4.5% and 3.9%. In all, 56.2% of women with a CS in pregnancy 1 had a repeat CS and 12.5% of their babies were admitted to a neonatal unit, compared with 5.3% of women with vaginal birth. Longer labours were associated with shorter gestations in pregnancy 2. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with vaginal birth, an emergency CS in the first-term pregnancy is associated with a shorter gestational length, increased rate of repeat CS and increased risk of NNU admission in the next pregnancy. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: An emergency caesarean section in the first-term pregnancy affects the duration and outcome of the next pregnancy.

Acute associations between heatwaves and preterm and early-term birth in 50 US metropolitan areas: a matched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The effect of heatwaves on adverse birth outcomes is not well understood and may vary by how heatwaves are defined. The study aims to examine acute associations between various heatwave definitions and preterm and early-term birth. METHODS: Using national vital records from 50 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) between 1982 and 1988, singleton preterm (< 37 weeks) and early-term births (37-38 weeks) were matched (1:1) to controls who completed at least 37 weeks or 39 weeks of gestation, respectively. Matching variables were MSA, maternal race, and maternal education. Sixty heatwave definitions including binary indicators for exposure to sustained heat, number of high heat days, and measures of heat intensity (the average degrees over the threshold in the past 7 days) based on the 97.5th percentile of MSA-specific temperature metrics, or the 85th percentile of positive excessive heat factor (EHF) were created. Odds ratios (OR) for heatwave exposures in the week preceding birth (or corresponding gestational week for controls) were estimated using conditional logistic regression adjusting for maternal age, marital status, and seasonality. Effect modification by maternal education, age, race/ethnicity, child sex, and region was assessed. RESULTS: There were 615,329 preterm and 1,005,576 early-term case-control pairs in the analyses. For most definitions, exposure to heatwaves in the week before delivery was consistently associated with increased odds of early-term birth. Exposure to more high heat days and more degrees above the threshold yielded higher magnitude ORs. For exposure to 3 or more days over the 97.5th percentile of mean temperature in the past week compared to zero days, the OR was 1.027 for early-term birth (95%CI: 1.014, 1.039). Although we generally found null associations when assessing various heatwave definitions and preterm birth, ORs for both preterm and early-term birth were greater in magnitude among Hispanic and non-Hispanic black mothers. CONCLUSION: Although associations varied across metrics and heatwave definitions, heatwaves were more consistently associated with early-term birth than with preterm birth. This study's findings may have implications for prevention programs targeting vulnerable subgroups as climate change progresses.

Association between early-term birth and delayed neurodevelopment at the age of 2 years: results from a cohort study in China.

A growing body of evidence indicates that early-term births (37-38 weeks of gestational age) have an increased risk of short-term and long-term complications. Here, we sought to explore the association between early-term births and the risk of delayed neurodevelopment at age 2 years. Pregnant women and their live singleton birth were recruited from a single tertiary hospital between October 2013 and February 2017. Mental and Psychomotor Development Indexes (MDI and PDI) were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID). Delayed neurodevelopment was defined as scores of PDI or MDI less than -1SD relative to the mean score of the study population. In total, 1678 full-term infants and 727 early-term infants were assessed when they were 2 years old. After adjustment for potential confounders, early-term birth was related to 43% increased odds of neurodevelopmental delay in the PDI domain as compared with full-term birth (OR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.82). The observed associations were more prominent among those infants born by cesarean (OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.00) and among males (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.20, 2.28). No statistical difference in the MDI domain was found between early-term and full-term births.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that early-term birth was associated with increased odds of delayed neurodevelopment in the PDI domain as measured by BSID assessments at age 2 years. Health professionals should be aware of the influence of early-term birth on the risk of delayed neurodevelopment. What is Known: • Evidence indicates that early-term births have an increased risk of short-term and long-term complications. • The association between early-term births and delayed neurodevelopment at their early childhood has not been widely studied. What is New: • Early-term birth was associated with increased odds of delayed neurodevelopment in PDI domain as measured by BSID assessments at age 2 years. • The observed associations were more prominent among infants born by cesarean section and among male infants.

Early-term elective Caesarean sections did not increase the risk of behavioural problems at six to eight years of age.

AIM: Our aim was to explore the under-researched associations between an elective Caesarean section (C-section) at early-term or full-term gestation and behaviour at 6-8 years of age. METHODS: We identified 1220 eligible children born by elective C-sections at Danish hospital from 2009 to 2011. Their mothers were randomised to elective C-sections at either 38+3 (early-term) or 39+3 (full-term) weeks of gestation. From December 2017 to August 2018, the parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results were adjusted for maternal education, parity and the child's sex. RESULTS: Of the 574 (45%) children followed up, 288 were delivered early-term and 286 were delivered full-term. The groups had similar baseline characteristics. There were no differences in the total difficulties score, subscale scores or the risk of being classified as having a possible or probable psychiatric disorder. Early-term boys had a lower risk of being classified as having a possible or probable psychiatric disorder and early-term girls had higher risk, but the results were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: We found no difference in behaviour at 6-8 years of age between children born by elective C-section at early- versus full-term gestation.

Early term delivery is associated with increased neonatal respiratory morbidity.

BACKGROUND: The recent increase in early term birth rates represents a growing challenge to public health given the association between early term birth and neonatal morbidities. We compared the risk of respiratory morbidity between early term and full-term infants. METHODS: This retrospective cohort population study included infants born at 37-41 weeks' gestation in a single tertiary care university hospital between 2014 and 2016. Newborns were categorized as early term (37-38 weeks) and full term (39-41 weeks). The primary outcome was respiratory morbidity. RESULTS: Of the 4,894 babies born at 37-41 weeks gestational age, 31% (n = 1,521) were early term births. The rate of cesarean deliveries, which were often elective, was higher for early term than for full-term newborns (P = 0.001). Compared with full-term newborns, early term newborns, had significantly higher risks of respiratory morbidity (13.2 % vs 6.3 %; odds ratio [OR], 2.28, P = 0.001), respiratory distress syndrome (0.5 % vs 0 %, P = 0.001), transient tachypnea of the newborn (11.2 % vs 4.6 %; OR, 2.72, P = 0.001), continuous positive airway pressure use (9.7 % vs 3.7 %; OR, 2.82, P = 0.001), and ventilation support (1.4% vs 0.4%; OR, 4.11, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The elevated frequency of respiratory morbidity in early term infants emphasizes the importance of early term birth interventions. More than half of the early term births were elective cesarean sections; interventions should therefore focus on reducing elective cesarean procedures at the time of first birth.

The neonatal respiratory morbidity associated with early term caesarean section - an emerging pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the impact of early term caesarean section (CS) on respiratory morbidity and early neonatal outcomes when elective caesarean section was carried out before 39 completed weeks gestation in our population. METHODS: A one-year population-based retrospective cohort analysis using routinely collected hospital data. Livebirths from women who had elective lower segment cesarean section (ELSCS) for uncomplicated singleton pregnancies at early term (ET) 37+0 to 38+6 weeks were compared to full term (FT)≥39+0 weeks gestation. Exclusion criteria included diabetes, antenatal corticosteroid use, stillbirths, immediate neonatal deaths, normal vaginal deliveries and emergency caesareans sections. The outcomes were combined respiratory morbidity (tachypnea [TTN] and respiratory distress syndrome [RDS]), Apgar <7 at 5 min of age, respiratory support, duration of respiratory support and NICU admission. RESULTS: Out of a total of 1,466 elective CS with term livebirths, the timing of CS was early term (ET) n=758 (52%) and full term (FT) n=708 (48%). There was a higher incidence of respiratory morbidities and neonatal outcomes in the ET in comparison to FT newborns. In the univariable analysis, significant risks for outcomes were: the need for oxygen support OR 2.42 (95% C.I. 1.38-4.22), respiratory distress syndrome and/or transient tachypnea of newborn (RDSF/TTN) OR 2.44 (95% C.I. 1.33-4.47) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission OR 1.91 (95% C.I. 1.22-2.98). Only the need for oxygen support remained (OR 1.81, 95% C.I. 1.0-3.26) in the multivariable analysis. These results were observed within the context of a significantly higher proportion of older, multiparous, and higher number of previous caesarean sections in the early term CS group. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant risk of respiratory morbidities in infants born by elective cesarean section prior to full term gestation. Obstetricians should aim towards reducing the high rate of women with previous multiple cesarean sections including balancing the obstetric indication of early delivery among such women with the evident risk of neonatal respiratory morbidity.

Preventing early births in a regional tertiary maternity unit: Evaluating preterm and early term birth rates before and after implementation of the Preterm Birth Prevention Initiative in the Australian Capital Territory.

BACKGROUND: A multifaceted preterm birth (PTB) prevention initiative was launched in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in 2019. The aim of this initiative was to safely lower the rate of early births across the ACT and the surrounding areas in New South Wales. Modelled on the Western Australian PTB Prevention Initiative, the program included new clinical guidelines and a new PTB prevention clinic at the main tertiary hospital. AIM: To evaluate the initiative and its effects on preterm and early term birth rates at the main tertiary hospital after 16 months of implementation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A before and after intervention study was conducted. Rates of preterm and early term birth before (previous five years) and after 16 months of implementation of the ACT PTB Prevention Initiative were evaluated. RESULTS: At the main tertiary hospital in The Canberra Hospital, the rate of PTB was significantly reduced by 10% after 16 months of implementation of the initiative. Rates of PTB were lower than any of the preceding five years and resulted in 45 averted or delayed PTBs. The number of planned early term births with no medical indication was significantly reduced by 34.5% and resulted in 77 averted or delayed early term births. CONCLUSIONS: The multifaceted PTB Prevention Initiative safely lowered the rates of early birth in the ACT context. These results highlight the importance of prioritising early birth prevention, education, research and expanding the initiative nationwide.

Maternal characteristics and neonatal outcomes of emergency repeat caesarean deliveries due to early-term spontaneous labour onset.

BACKGROUND: The optimal timing of elective repeat caesarean delivery has yet to be determined. One of the reasons to schedule an elective repeat caesarean delivery before 39 weeks gestation is to avoid emergency caesarean delivery due to spontaneous onset of labour. AIMS: By ascertaining maternal characteristics and neonatal outcomes associated with early-term onset of spontaneous labour, we aim to determine the optimal timing for each individual repeat caesarean delivery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of women with repeat caesarean deliveries planned at 38 weeks gestation between 2005 and 2019 at a tertiary referral hospital in Japan. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was adopted to identify independent contributing factors for early-term spontaneous labour onset. We also compared the rate of neonatal adverse events between women who underwent emergency repeat caesarean deliveries due to the onset of early-term labour and the ones who underwent elective repeat caesarean deliveries at 38 weeks. RESULTS: We included 1152 women. History of vaginal deliveries (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 2.12; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.21-3.74), history of preterm deliveries (AOR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.38-3.77), and inadequate maternal weight gain during pregnancy (AOR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.15-2.75) significantly increased the risk of early-term spontaneous labour onset. In terms of occurrence rate of neonatal complications, we found no significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: These maternal factors are significant predictors for early-term labour onset of repeat caesarean deliveries. The onset of early-term labour did not increase the likelihood of neonatal complications.

Hospital admissions for lower respiratory tract infections after early-, late-, and post-term birth.

BACKGROUND: Recent data suggest that early-term births are associated with later respiratory morbidity (LRTI), and post-term births may decrease this risk. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to determine the impact of early-term, late-term, and post-term birth on hospital admission for LRTI up to the age of seven years. Additionally, we explored maternal and perinatal factors associated with the risk of admission for LRTIs. METHODS: The association of early-term (37+0 -38+6  weeks), late-term (41+0 -41+6  weeks), and post-term (≥42 weeks) birth with hospital admissions for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in comparison with infants born full-term (39+0 -40+6  weeks) was assessed and early predictors of LRTI were established. The register study included 948 695 infants born in Finland in 1991-2008. Data were analysed in four-term subgroups. Hospital admissions for bronchiolitis/bronchitis and pneumonia were collected up to 7 years of age. Adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess risk factors of LRTI admissions. RESULTS: The rates of hospital admission in the early-, full-, late-, and post-term groups were 6.7%, 5.5%, 5.1%, and 4.8% for bronchiolitis/bronchitis, and 2.8%, 2.4%, 2.3%, and 2.3% for pneumonia. Early-term birth was associated with an increased risk of admission for bronchiolitis/bronchitis (hazard ratio HR 1.21, 95% confidence interval CI 1.18, 1.23) and pneumonia (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.12, 1.20), while late-term (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.91, 0.95) and post-term births (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.85, 0.93) were associated with a decreased risk of bronchiolitis/bronchitis admission compared with the full-term group. Maternal age ≤ 20 years, smoking during pregnancy, male sex, caesarean delivery, small for gestational age, 1-minute Apgar score < 4, ventilator support, and neonatal antibiotic therapy were associated with an increased risk of LRTI admission, while being firstborn, born in a level-II hospital and in the Northern region was associated with decreased risk. CONCLUSION: Early-term birth was associated with a higher risk of all LRTI admissions while late-term and post-term births were associated with lower risk of bronchiolitis/bronchitis admission. Modifiable risk factors of LRTIs were smoking during pregnancy, birth by elective caesarean delivery, neonatal ventilator support, and antibiotic therapy.

Risk of preterm birth in a twin pregnancy after an early-term birth in the preceding singleton pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a history of spontaneous early-term birth (37+0 -38+6  weeks of gestation) in the previous singleton pregnancy is a risk factor for preterm birth (PTB) in a subsequent twin pregnancy. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTINGS: Two French university hospitals (2006-2016). POPULATION: All women who delivered twins from 24+0  weeks after a preceding singleton pregnancy birth at 37+0 to 41+6  weeks. METHODS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis of association between twin PTB and a previous spontaneous singleton early-term birth. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Twin PTB rate before 37, 34 and 32 weeks of gestation. RESULTS: Among 618 twin pregnancies, 270 were born preterm, 92 of them with a preceding spontaneous singleton early-term birth. The univariate analysis showed a significantly higher risk of twin PTB before 37, 34 and 32 weeks among those 92 women compared with those with a full- or late-term birth in their previous singleton pregnancy. This association remained significant after logistic regression (odds ratio [OR] between 2.42 and 3.88). The secondary analysis, restricted to the twin pregnancies with spontaneous PTB found similar results, with a risk of PTB before 37, 34 and 32 weeks significantly higher among women with a previous spontaneous singleton early-term birth, including after logistic regression analysis (OR between 3.51 and 3.56). CONCLUSION: A preceding spontaneous singleton early-term birth is a strong and easily identified risk factor for PTB in twin pregnancies. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Spontaneous 'early-term' birth of a singleton is a significant risk factor for future preterm births in twin pregnancies.