Ob-Gyns Redefine Meaning of "Term Pregnancy"

The nation’s ob-gyns have redefined "term pregnancy" to improve newborn outcomes and expand efforts to prevent nonmedically indicated deliveries before 39 weeks of gestation. In a joint Committee Opinion, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) are discouraging use of the general label "term pregnancy" and replacing it with a series of more specific labels: "early term," "full term," "late term," and "postterm."