Full term pregnancy is defined as how many weeks?

• A. 38 weeks
• B. 39 weeks
• C. 41 weeks
• D. 40 weeks

Answer: (B)

Full term status starts when the fetus is mature enough for birth and the risks of continuing the pregnancy begin to lessen. In most obstetric definitions, term begins at 39 weeks and continues through about 40 weeks (often described as 39 to 40 weeks). Choosing 39 weeks as the best single answer reflects the start of the term period, since delivering at 39 weeks is considered term and carries lower risks than earlier preterm delivery. The other options fall outside this boundary: 38 weeks is still preterm/early term, 40 weeks is within term but does not mark the start of term, and 41 weeks is generally considered late term or post-term.