40 weeks of pregnancy

Just how long is pregnancy supposed to be? It's not exactly the nine months you may have thought of.

"It's 10 four-week months, or 280 days," Dr. Kurt Finberg said. That's 40 weeks of pregnancy. But again, too many babies have been born weeks before that.

"Keep your baby in as long as possible, it can mean the world to them."

"About 40 percent of the brain development occurs in the last two weeks," Johah said. "Their lungs may not be property developed."

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Data from a National Vital Statistics report shows the national rate of pre-term births has shot up nearly 36 percent in the last 20 years.

Some reports say much of that has been due to scheduled C-sections, and the concern is the number of those procedures where there was no medical need, called "low-risk." The Kern County Public Health Department provided some data.

For the years of 2005 through 2007, in Kern County the low-risk C-sections accounted for an average of eight of every 100 births at San Joaquin Hospital. In that time, these births accounted for 10 of 100 births at Delano Regional and Bakersfield Memorial, and eleven per 100 births at Kern Medical Center. Mercy Hospital had an average of 14 of these births per 100, and it was 22 at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital.

Experts say C-sections pose risks to mothers, even death. The numbers in Kern County are also troubling. We tracked down local statistics from the Office of State Health Planning and Development.

In 2005 there were no "maternal deaths" linked to C-section deliveries. But in 2006, one of these deaths was reported at Kern Medical Center, and in 2007 there was one death at each KMC and Mercy Hospital.

In 2008, two maternal deaths related to C-section happened at Delano Regional Medical Center. No deaths like this were reported in 2009 in Kern County. During these years the total number of local births ranged from 13,326 to 14,591.

"As you can see, the death totals are small and for some years none occurred at all," OSHPD spokesman David Byrnes responded in an e-mail.

With the risks to mothers and babies, why do early births happen? Local doctors see a variety of reasons.

"There's a common feeling in late pregnancy that, yes they're tired of being pregnant, and they want to get delivered sooner," Finberg said.

Some doctors say expectant mothers may have friends or relatives who scheduled a C-section or induced labor early, and so they think it's OK.

"Maybe there's family members there at a certain time," Jonah added. But, she also mentioned a more troubling possible reason for more C-sections. "There's also concerns that possibly because maybe the reimbursement for a surgical delivery rather than natural delivery is a little bit more, that could play into it."

Some reports show C-sections cost twice what regular births do.

The March of Dimes is focusing strong efforts on reducing the number of early births, particularly deliveries from 37 to 39 weeks of pregnancy. Eyewitness News discovered hospitals in Kern County are already taking action.

"You have to have a medical condition that would dictate that you need to be delivered earlier, in order to deliver before 39 weeks," Finberg said. Jonah said that is now also the policy at Mercy, San Joaquin, KMC and Ridgecrest Regional.

Some doctors already see results.

"Our rate of pre-term births are much reduced," Bhogal said. She added that before the policy change at Memorial, she'd hear from parents who had decided on an elective, early birth. "They'd say, 'I wish I had waited.'"

In some cases, mothers may not be exactly sure how far along their pregnancy is. Bhogal said they have four criteria to determine gestational age, and that's more important now with the hospital's policy on no elective births before 39 weeks.

One criteria is referring to an ultra-sound test. But, it's important to have an ultra-sound early in the pregnancy.

Finberg agrees. "Early ultra-sounds are much more accurate than late ultra-sounds in terms of defining maternal age," he said. And Finberg stresses it's important for many reasons to get medical care as early as possible in a pregnancy. The goal is healthy babies and mothers.

Bhogal is glad more information is going out on the dangers of early, elective deliveries. It's much better for mothers to wait.

"I know it's hard when you're late in pregnancy, and you want to just get the baby out," Bhogal said. "But it's important to stay, because mom is the best incubator."

Jonah says even the final few weeks of pregnancy are vital. "Those extra couple weeks, when you end up with a healthy baby, is well worth it."

And Gonzalez didn't have a choice on when her baby could be delivered, but she had a message to mothers who might consider an early birth.