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Howard G. Smith, M.D. is a former radio medical editor and talk show host in the Boston Metro area. His "Medical Minute" of health and wellness news and commentary was a regular weekday feature on WBZ-AM, WRKO-AM, and WMRE-AM. His popular two-way talk show, Dr. Howard Smith OnCall, was regularly heard Sunday morning and middays on WBZ.

Dr. Smith has adopted audio and video podcasting as conduits for HEALTH NEWS YOU SHOULD USE. Based on the latest medical, health, and wellness literature these reports provide practical information you can use to keep yourself and your family healthy. Many reports have video versions, and Dr. Smith’s YouTube Channel may be found at: http://bit.ly/2rNw6XQ

Trained at Harvard Medical School and a long-time faculty member at Boston Children’s Hospital, he practiced Pediatric Otolaryngology for 40 years in Boston, Southern California, and in central Connecticut.  He is now based in New York City.

If you have questions or suggestions about this content, please email the doctor at drhowardsmith.reports@gmail.com or leave him a message at 516-778-8864.  His website is: www.drhowardsmith.com.

Please note that the news, views, commentary, and opinions that Dr. Smith provides are for informational purposes only. Any changes that you or members of your family contemplate making to lifestyle, diet, medications, or medical therapy should always be discussed beforehand with personal physicians who have been supervising your care.

Nov 22, 2019

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/mr_Zu297u7g

 

Forty-one weeks of gestation appears to be the safe upper limit for pregnancies.  This the conclusion of a Swedish multisite study of more than 2700 women with post-mature babies.

 

Half the group were randomized to be induced at 41 weeks,  The remainder were followed for up to another 7 days with mandatory induction at 42 weeks.  The study was abruptly ended when six babies in the watch and wait group died versus none in the 41 week-induced group.

 

A pregnancy is conventionally considered safe up to 42 weeks.  If you or a loved one is pregnant, insist on delivery by 41 weeks if the baby is large enough by ultrasound.

 

A.M. Jukic, D.D. Baird, C.R. Weinberg, D.R. McConnaughey, A.J. Wilcox. Length of human pregnancy and contributors to its natural variation. Human Reproduction, 2013 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/det297

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3991404/

 

#Pregnancy #postterm #induction #csection