Late preterm gestational age range is which of the following?

Late preterm gestational age range is which of the following?

• A. <35 weeks
• B. 35-38 weeks
• C. 39-42 weeks
• D. >42 weeks

Answer: (B)

Late preterm describes babies born after the earlier preterm period but before full term, a time when organ systems are still maturing but the infant is closer to term than the very early preterm babies. In this item, late preterm is defined as 35 to 38 weeks gestation. This window sits between the earlier preterm period and the start of term gestation, which begins at 39 weeks. The other options correspond to clearly preterm (<35 weeks), term (39–42 weeks), and post-term (>42 weeks). So 35–38 weeks is the range used here to designate late preterm.

Late preterm describes babies born after the earlier preterm period but before full term, a time when organ systems are still maturing but the infant is closer to term than the very early preterm babies. In this item, late preterm is defined as 35 to 38 weeks gestation. This window sits between the earlier preterm period and the start of term gestation, which begins at 39 weeks. The other options correspond to clearly preterm (<35 weeks), term (39–42 weeks), and post-term (>42 weeks). So 35–38 weeks is the range used here to designate late preterm.