We know babies born prematurely can have complications, what happens if they're born late? Now, a study is saying that babies born post-term could also be faced with health issues in the future.
Researchers examined over 5,000 Dutch babies and found that newborns born after 42 weeks were __twice as likely to have behavioral problems and two and a half times more likely to develop ADHD t__han those who arrive in the usual nine months.
"If your baby stays in the womb for too long they are more likely to be a stillbirth, or weigh too little or be more likely to have a neurological disorder, because […] it is more likely the placenta stop[s] functioning normally," Neena Modi, a professor of neonatal medicine at Imperial College London, told The Guardian.
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The news is especially important because it comes at a time when approximately 5 to 10 percent of births are post-term internationally. There's even an Internet-based group of moms that call themselves "10 month mamas" and advocating that pregnant women wait until after their due date so that they can have a natural childbirth instead of getting induced or having a c-section.
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So what's an expecting woman to do? It's an individual choice of course, but I think if you're putting your baby at risk by waiting when it isn't necessary, then it might not be worth it. At the very least, moms-to-be should be aware that premature birth isn't the only kind that can do damage–prolonged pregnancy can also have potentially harmful, long-term effects on a baby.
What do you think of the study?
Image via rafael viana de araujo/flickr
