European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 24, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The dilemma of late pregnancies by g1ma Kolata new York times despite All the dramatic advances in obstetrics doctors still have no idea what strategy is safest Lor the Lala or pos Malure baby. When should Bush be induced artificially and when is in Best ust to wait As Many As 7 percent of pregnant women still Havo nol delivered two weeks alter their duo dates and some women do not go into labor until four or five weeks alter their babies were expected. In such cases. Ihu babies Are at increased risk of brain damage or even Lelal deals. But there Are also risks with inducing deliver or performing a caesarean Section. Now a Federal study is attempting to resolve this Issue the study sponsored by the National Institute at child health and human development involves 2,800 women whose babies Aie late. Two thirds of the women will have labor induced Oil tier with oxytocin. A drug already on Iho Markel or with oxytocin and  an experimental drug the other third will Wail 10 labor to occur naturally. By Lour weeks after their due dates however their babies will be delivered by attempting to induce labor and if Hal fails by a caesarean although the study will not provide answers Lor several years ii is focusing obstetricians attention on the problems of Post term pregnancies. There arc no glib or arbitrary answers said or. Mortimer Rosen of Columbia presbyterian medical Center in new York we arc talking about one of the most dil Cuil management problems in obstetrics " Rosen is one investigator participating in the new study. Most doctors now Wail until one to two weeks alter a woman s due Date and then try to induce labor or do a caesarean but others wait Shorter or longer limes before intervening. Every Orting s being done Rosen said there is no absolute policy because there is no  one problem it simply trying to recognize which babies Are overdue some women have irregular menstrual periods or forget when they had their last period so the due Dale is Uncertain. And even when women Are certain of the Date they conceived some fetuses take longer to mature and Are not truly pos mature even though they Are tale a typical pos mature baby is Long and thin because it continued to grow in the womb but had an Ingulli Mienl Lood Supply from an aging Placenta said or. Frank Wilder of the Johns Hopkins University school of Medicine in Baltimore. Witter is participating in the new study. Most babies Are born around the 40th week of pregnancy when a pregnancy con Linus past ihe42nd week he Piacenza which supplies the fetus with of Ven and nutrients Ages and becomes less of Lucienl. The baby can have problems Wilh its oxygen or food Supply writer said. Ii May lose weight in Uler and there May be Lelal Dis Trasa in labor. The baby has a higher risk of dying before or during  even when the Placenta continues to unction fetuses can have problems Witter said. They continue 1o grow in the uterus so that labor becomes increasingly Dillie ult when it does Cuccui. The Felus can grow or an extra four 01 live weeks so that the Mother and the obstetrician Are laced Wilh delivering a baby the size of a Normal one month old Bui the alternative trying to deliver a ttki42dwmk a Kef , lit red us vat Ntow to Witt or to my  my a Quin i clip no n