By JANE E. BRODY The March of Dimes opened a new campaign this
summer to curb the large and growing number of otherwise healthy
pregnancies that are deliberately ended early by induced labor
or Caesarean delivery. Research has clearly shown that a change
in approach that emphasizes allowing babies to develop fully
when both mother and baby are doing well could result in
healthier babies and lower medical costs. The campaign is called
“Healthy babies are worth the wait.” What prompted the campaign
is what many experts view as an alarming trend in American
obstetrics — the steady rise in elective deliveries of singleton
babies before 39 weeks of gestation, when fetal development is
complete. Gestation is calculated from the first day of a
woman’s last menstrual period. Studies have shown that as many
as 36 percent of elective deliveries now occur before 39 weeks,
and many of these early deliveries are contributing to an
unacceptable number of premature births and avoidable, costly
complications. Although guidel