How could you go about determining whether there is a trade-off between time spent developing in utero and time spent developing after birth?

Risks versus benefit: Ideally a pregnancy would carry to at least 39 weeks. However, sometimes there are situations where the mother or baby is at risk for complications or even death if pregnancy continues. Ob/Gyns, frequently in consultation with Perinatologists, are trained to make these complex judgements. The risks of continuing the pregnancy are weighed against the risks of pre-term delivery. Its not easy.