Early planned births

Early planned births are when babies are born before 39 weeks of pregnancy by planned caesarean section (that is, without established labour) or induction of labour. The Fourth Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation examines early planned births when there is no documented medical or obstetric reason for an early birth.

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When planning for birth by caesarean section or induction of labour, waiting until at least 39 weeks gestation results in better short- and long-term outcomes for the baby, unless there are medical or obstetric reasons for earlier birth

Chapter 1: Early planned births

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