How many women induced labor

Infants from induced births in the study were also more likely to be later admitted to hospitals for respiratory and ear, nose and throat infections. Research has found black and south Asian women, for example, have a shorter average pregnancy length before spontaneous labour than white European women, delivering on average at 39 weeks compared to But, he says, evidence also shows healthy women with low-risk pregnancies can safely deliver babies without unnecessary medical intervention.

Australian researchers led a review of studies on low-risk births and found no statistically significant difference in infant mortality rates whether the baby was born at hospital, at home, or in a birth centre.

Dr Alex Polyakov, an obstetrician and senior clinical lecturer at the University of Melbourne, takes issue with the methods used in the NSW study. He points to a well-regarded study, known as the ARRIVE study , in which 3, women were randomly assigned to be induced, and another 3, had spontaneous births.

ARRIVE was a randomised controlled trial — considered the most reliable form of scientific evidence because it can demonstrate that the treatment results in an effect on human health. Observational studies — like the NSW one — can show that a particular intervention and outcome are linked, but not definitively that one causes the other. For many clinicians, the ARRIVE study is evidence that women can be induced at 39 weeks without significant adverse effects. One outcome the NSW study was unable to look at was stillbirths, which occur in Australia at a rate of 7 in every 1, births.

The rise in inductions of first-time mothers around 40 weeks might be the result of doctors erring on the side of caution when considering the possibility of preventable stillbirths, Moss says.

US data puts the risk of stillbirth as increasing from 2. The rise in early-term inductions in first-time mothers, believes Dahlen, may be partially attributable to an increasing push for efficiency in healthcare. Bigger babies may lead to more complications with the birth, and smaller babies may not be growing well. However, ultrasound can be very inaccurate , and babies thought to be small or large are often a very average size at birth. Sometimes women are sick of being pregnant and are understandably uncomfortable and request an induction or are offered it by doctors.

Read more: Birth intervention — and harm — more likely in private hospitals. Compared to first-time mothers who went into labour themselves, those who were induced were more likely to have:. In one area there were benefits for mothers who were induced: severe perineal tears were slightly lower for first time mothers 4. Mothers having subsequent babies did not have the same high intervention rates that first time mothers did.

Another recently published study had similar findings of increased caesarean section rates for first time mothers. Previous research has suggested inducing healthy pregnant mothers after 41 weeks of pregnancy reduces stillbirth and this is what the World Health Organization recommends we previously recommended induction after 42 weeks. While our research did not look at stillbirth, as all our mothers and babies were healthy when labour started, we found no difference in the rates of neonatal, infant and child death between the two groups.

Following induction of labour, babies had more trauma during birth, and were more likely to need resuscitation. Babies born after induction were more likely to be admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties and infections ear, nose, throat, respiratory, sepsis at a range of ages, up to 16 years.

We could only look at hospital admissions which occur when there are more serious health issues, so this does not represent visits to a GP or other community services. Pregnancy FAQ What to expect after your due date.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Reaffirmed Labor, delivery and postpartum care FAQ Labor induction. Wing DA. Cervical ripening and induction of labor in women with a prior cesarean delivery.

Meconium aspiration syndrome. Merck Manual Professional Version. Bush M, et al. Umbilical cord prolapse. Gabbe SG, et al. Abnormal labor and induction of labor.

In: Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. Philadelphia, Pa. Cunningham FG, et al. Induction and augmentation of labor. In: Williams Obstetrics. New York, N. Butler Tobah Y expert opinion. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 22, See also Back labor Bathroom during labor: What if you have to go? Can vaginal tears during childbirth be prevented?