When is the best time to have the baby?

The optimal time of delivery for women with low-risk pregnancy has been a continuing source of controversy, but a debate on the elective induction of labor at 39 weeks at American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 2016 Annual Clinical Meeting turned out to be a statement of consensus.
The two presenters agreed that evidence is mounting that waiting beyond 39 weeks is not advisable.
"Continuing the pregnancy beyond 39 weeks is riskier than previously believed for the fetus," said Errol Raymond Norwitz, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. In addition, risks to the mother associated with routine induction "are lower than appreciated," he said.
"I was absolutely opposed" to the elective induction of labor at 39 weeks, said Charles Lockwood, MD, dean of the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida in Tampa. In fact, he was prepared to debunk the notion.
But after much reading, "it's overwhelmingly evident that elective induction of labor is the logical strategy," he said.
Members of the audience in the crowded ballroom were won over by Drs Norwitz and Lockwood. Before the presentations, 20% said that it would be best to deliver most women at 39 weeks, 17% were unsure, and 63% were against the idea.
After the presentations, 81% of the attendees said they changed or reconsidered their view. In fact, 70% said they agreed that it is best to deliver most women at 39 weeks, 21% were still unsure, but only 9% were against the idea.

(The article was published at the medscape.com.)