Redefining the term "Term"

I have heard many women say that they are full "term" at 37 weeks pregnant. While this is technically true, research has found that there are many developmental differences in infants born at 37 weeks 0 days and infants born at 41 weeks 6 days (42 weeks being post "term"). If you think about it, a baby born at 37 weeks won't be developmentally equal to a baby who gets to stay in the womb for 2, 3, or even 5 weeks longer.

So a workgroup of medical professionals; including WHO, ACOG, AAP, the March of Dimes, and many others, set out to redefine what "term" really means. The workgroup recommends using the following designations: early term (37 weeks 0 days to 38 weeks 6 days), full term (39 weeks 0 days through 40 weeks 6 days) and late term (41 weeks 0 days through 41 weeks 6 days). To read more details on their findings, check out the following article: Defining "Term" Pregnancy.

So what does that mean for someone who is pregnant? It means do your best to stay pregnant until at least 39 weeks. If you have any symptoms of preterm labor, call you care provider right away.