Inducing labor at full term: What makes sense?

For generations, midwives and doctors have looked for ways to imitate human physiology and nudge women’s bodies into giving birth. Synthetic hormones can be used to start and speed up labor. Soft balloons and seaweed sticks placed alongside the cervix can shape a pathway through the birth canal. Self-stimulation can spontaneously spark natural labor transmitters. But the start of labor remains a complex and mysterious process. And part of this mystery is figuring out which women to induce, when to induce labor, and how. Now, a landmark study known as ARRIVE has brought a bit of clarity. What does the study tell us about inducing labor? This multicenter, randomized, controlled trial involving thousands of women compared outcomes of induced labor versus “expectant management” — just waiting for labor to begin. All participants in the study were expecting their first baby, and all were within one week of their due date. For most of the women, their cervix wasn’t really open yet. No special methods were used to induce labor, just what was standard at each institution. The results were interesting. For the baby, similar numbers of complications and need for intensive care occurred in both groups. However, when compared with waiting for labor, induction decreased the likelihood that the baby would need help with breathing. Breastfeeding success was no different between the two groups. The big news? Inducing labor was associated with a lower rate of cesarean delivery (appr...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Children's Health Family Planning and Pregnancy Health trends Women's Health Source Type: blogs