Abstract
BackgroundTerm birth is a gestational age from 259 days to 293 days. However trends in mortality according to gestational ages in days have not yet been described in this time period.Methods and FindingsBased on nation-wide registries, we conducted a population-based cohort study among all children born at term in Denmark from 1997 to 2004 to estimate differences in mortality across gestational ages in days among singletons born at term. We studied early-neonatal mortality, neonatal mortality, infant mortality, and five-year mortality. Children were followed from birth up to the last day of the defined mortality period or December 31, 2009. A total of 360,375 singletons born between 259 and 293 days of gestation were included in the study. Mortality decreased with increasing gestational age in days and the highest mortality was observed among children born at 37 week of gestation. A similar pattern was observed when analyses were restricted to children born to by mothers without pregnancy complications.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates heterogeneity in mortality rates even among singletons born at term. The highest mortality was observed among children born 37 weeks of gestation, which call for cautions when inducing labor in term pregnancies just reaching 37 weeks of gestation. The findings support that 37 weeks of gestation should be defined as early term.
Highlights
The International Classification of Diseases defines a term pregnancy as a delivery between 259 days (37 weeks 0 days) and 293 days (41 weeks 6 days).[1]
The highest mortality was observed among children born 37 weeks of gestation, which call for cautions when inducing labor in term pregnancies just reaching 37 weeks of gestation
We identified live-born singletons of women giving birth from January 1 1997 to December 31 2004 in Denmark (N = 504,519) according to the Danish Medical Birth Register (DMBR) which includes all births in Denmark since 1973.[10]. DMBR holds information on maternal age, maternal parity at birth, gestational age, and birth weight.[10]
Summary
The International Classification of Diseases defines a term pregnancy as a delivery between 259 days (37 weeks 0 days) and 293 days (41 weeks 6 days).[1] Increasing evidence indicates that births between weeks 0 days and weeks 6 days are associated with an increased mortality. Trends in Mortality for Children Born at Term. Term birth is a gestational age from 259 days to 293 days. Trends in mortality according to gestational ages in days have not yet been described in this time period
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