There appears to be a new trend in hospitals–refusing to deliver babies electively before 39 weeks. On the heels of the news of Banner hospitals putting an end to early elective inductions and cesareans and Louisiana hospitals doing the same, comes the news out of Oregon that seventeen hospitals in the state will also not schedule cesareans, absent medical necessity, before 39 weeks starting at the beginning of September. Back in July, we covered the efforts Oregon Health & Science University is taking to reduce the number of cesarean births in their hospitals and now comes this news. The resolutions are spurred by the March of Dimes’ effort to reduce the number of complications associated with infants delivered prematurely, including ICU care for early deliveries as well as low birth weight and other complications experienced by infants delivered pre-term.
Check out the story and leave your thoughts below. Do you think this trend will catch on in hospitals nationwide?
