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The "big baby" trial aimed to find out if starting labour earlier than 38 weeks made it less likely for infants who appeared large in the womb to be born with shoulder dystocia, where the shoulder becomes stuck during delivery.

Shoulder dystocia occurs in 1 in 150 vaginal deliveries, delaying birth and leading to possible complications, including a stretching in the nerves of the infant's neck.

"Both groups had a risk of shoulder dystocia, it was actually slightly higher if you waited for labour naturally - but babies didn't do any worse if you wait for labour naturally."

She said observations included dead or stillborn pups, aborted fetuses, malnourished pups, and adult females with dystocia — difficult births — who are also thin.

But her baby became stuck in the birth canal most likely because of shoulder dystocia, when a baby's shoulder gets stuck behind the pubic bone, according to the family.