What's the Best Gestational Age for Low-Risk Multiparous Women to Give Birth?

Little is known about the optimal timing of subsequent birth in low-risk multiparous women with a previous vaginal (and no cesarean) delivery. In a single-center retrospective study, researchers assessed birth outcomes among 453 such women electively induced at 39 weeks 0 days to 39 weeks 4 days' gestation compared with 2174 women delivering at or after 39 weeks and 5 days (expectant management). Rates of the composite perinatal adverse outcome (death, respiratory support, 5-minute Apgar ≤3, and shoulder dystocia) were 4% (induction) and 7.1% (expectant management; adjusted odds ratio, 0.57) and rates of cesarean delivery were 5.1% (induction) and 6.6% (expectant management; aOR, 0.60).

In a retrospective study of 5.4 million U.S. births, bi…