A healthcare watchdog group recently released a study that shows that thousands of babies are being delivered early for no sound medical reason. This type of early delivery election substantially increases the chances of newborn death as a result of health problems, birth injuries and other complications. At some hospitals, there is a 40 percent early delivery rate.

Leapfrog Group released the press release and issued a call to mother's to be more educated when making the choice to deliver early. If there is no medical reason for inducing delivery or undergoing a cesarean section, pregnant women should exercise extreme caution in electing an early delivery.

An early delivery can be harmful for both the mother and the child. For the mother, inducing an otherwise unnecessary delivery can lead to complications. The same can be said for the health of the child. Delivering a baby early means that the baby will not be full-term and will be more likely to need time in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The size of the child and the possibility of serious long-term health risks coupled with the possibility of health complications similarly increases the risk of a birth injury. Birth injuries, such as Cerebral Palsy or Erb's Palsy, are most often caused by doctor negligence. When a doctor is dealing with early delivery complications, there is likely a greater chance that the doctor may make an error in the delivery.

While it may be tempting for a pregnant mother to elect for an early delivery, it's best to wait it out and, if medically possible, let the baby deliver naturally without inducement or unnecessary cesarean section. It's also important for pregnant women to research their choice of doctor and hospital carefully. Hospitals reviewed in the study vary greatly in the number of early elective deliveries with some hospitals delivering 10 times more babies with an elective early delivery.

Source: Leapfrog Group "Newborn Deliveries Are Scheduled Too Early, According to Hospital Watchdog Group" 1/26/2011