How long is the normal delay in due date?

Many pregnant women, especially those in the late stages of pregnancy, want to fully understand how long it is normal for the due date to be delayed? The following content provides a detailed introduction for many women who are about to give birth, and it is generally normal for the due date to be delayed. If you want to have a comprehensive understanding of these aspects, you can continue to read the detailed introduction below.

The due date is not the exact date of delivery. According to statistics, only about 53% of women give birth on their due date, and some babies are born "early" or "delayed".

1. Disadvantages of early due date

The medical definition of a full-term fetus is a baby with a gestational age between 37 and 42 weeks. About 80%-90% of pregnant women give birth during this period. Babies born before 37 weeks are considered premature, accounting for about 5% to 10%. The younger the gestational age, the weaker the premature baby's ability to survive. Therefore, if the expectant mother has symptoms of labor before 37 weeks of pregnancy, if there are any signs of labor, she should go to the hospital immediately to protect the fetus and extend the time the fetus stays in the uterus as much as possible.

2. Disadvantages of delayed due date

There is a popular saying that the longer the fetus stays in the womb, the better. This has no scientific basis. If the fetus stays in the expectant mother's womb for too long, and the gestational age exceeds 42 weeks, it is called a post-term fetus. For every mother, the peak period of placental function in maintaining the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus is around 38 weeks, and then gradually declines. In some cases, the placenta ages and degenerates prematurely, and the longer it is overdue, the more harmful it is to the fetus. Many women undergo emergency cesarean sections before 42 weeks of pregnancy due to low amniotic fluid. If the fetus is born a few days later, it may die in the uterus.

How long is it normal for the due date to be delayed? The above comprehensively introduces the disadvantages of early due date and delayed due date. Therefore, for many women who want to fully understand this aspect, they must have a comprehensive understanding of the above content. Through understanding, if their due date is advanced or delayed, they should go to the hospital for a comprehensive examination as soon as possible to ensure that both mother and child are healthy during delivery.