Maternal and child health experts say pregnant women should seek prompt medical intervention for overdue pregnancy, warning that post-term babies are at risk of neurological deficiencies and death.Speaking with PUNCH Healthwise in separate interviews, the maternal and child health experts said caregivers must also intervene once pregnancy exceeds 42 weeks.
According to Dr. Eze, any pregnancy that exceeds 42 weeks puts the baby’s life at risk, noting that the baby may even die in the womb in extreme cases.
The gynaecologist explained that early-term delivery is between 37 to 38 weeks while full-term pregnancy is between 39 to 40 weeks.
She also noted that overdue babies are babies born after 42 weeks.
On the what happens to the baby after 42 weeks in the womb, Eze said, “You know, the baby is supplied nutrients from the mother through the placenta so that placenta, it has been found that it begins to degenerate so the supply of nutrients to the baby will not be optimal again.
“Even the volume of the amniotic fluid that makes the baby comfortable starts to reduce by this time”.
Also speaking with PUNCH Healthwise Dr. Kenechukwu, said that a baby deprived of oxygen because of overdue pregnancy could have some neurological deficiencies, which he added, is also individualised.
“Once it’s the date of birth, we normally use 40 weeks, we don’t wait till 42 weeks. In Nigeria, once it is 41 weeks and three days, the woman is induced,” Dr. Kenechukwu said.
“A drug is given to the woman for the labour to start or for the cervix to start getting soft in preparation for the labour.
“No matter the situation, the labour is induced at this time unless there’s a contrary indicator for that labour to be made vaginally.
“The thing is that the baby must come out, if not the baby may die and all of that,” Kenechukwu said.
As reported by the BBC, a recent study conducted in the Netherlands and published in the International Journal of Epidemiology revealed that overdue babies are at risk of suffering from behavioural problems early in life and had more than twice the risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
According to the study, other complications that may arise from overdue births include a higher risk of stillbirth and other long-term health effects.
source: Healthwise
