Conclusions
On current best evidence and considering all the provisos outlined above, we conclude that early-term birth for LGA babies, in particular at 38 weeks, is not likely to reduce cognitive outcome to a clinically significant degree at the population level. For LGA children in particular, a large RCT and/or cohort study with long-term follow-up is urgently needed to confirm whether the slight advantage of being larger in terms of cognitive development can compensate for the slight disadvantage of being born two weeks earlier. These studies will contribute greatly to helping obstetricians and parents weigh the pros and cons of making the best possible decision about the timing of labour.
Acknowledgements : The BB2UP grant supports this Online Open publication through a legacy gift from University of Warwick alumnus Jack Straw (BSc Mathematics and Economics, 1969-72).
Disclosure of Interests : All authors confirm no conflicts of interest.
Contribution to Authorship : XZ, SQ and DW were responsible for the design and conception of the research question. XZ and DW designed the methodology. XZ and AP undertook literature search, study selection and checked by DW. XZ and MS conducted the data extraction and risk assessment. XZ did statistical analysis and designed the tables, figures and online-only supplements. The initial drafts of the manuscript were prepared by XZ and DW, with additional input from SQ, MS and AP. All authors contributed to the final version of the manuscript.
Details of ethics approval : This study did not require ethical approval as the data used have been published previously.