title: How early elective deliveries impact infant health in Mississippi.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infants delivered early for non-medical reasons are at increased risk of poor birth outcomes. Trends and associated health outcomes were unexamined in Mississippi.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Determine elective delivery trends and impacts on infant mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Identify cesarean deliveries and inductions without medical indications from birth certificate records linked with death certificate records. Assess differences in death rates between those born electively during 37 and 38 weeks compared to 39 weeks gestation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early elective delivery rates increased significantly (p < .01) from 8.5% in 2001 to a peak of 17.8% in 2008. The rate began to decline in 2008 and was 16.5% in 2011. Neonates born electively before 39 weeks gestation had three-fold higher death rates [2.1 per 1,000] than neonates born at 39 weeks gestation [0.6 per 1,000], a statistically significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early elective deliveries in Mississippi are associated with increased infant mortality. Reducing this common practice could improve birth outcomes in the state.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radican
authors.forename: Charlene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.forename: Dick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000639:trends; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008922:Mississippi; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011634:Public Health