Doctors Urged to Induce Labor Less Often

New guidelines warn of risky 'epidemic' in US hospitals

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 21, 2009 3:45 PM CDT

(Newser) – New guidelines out today urge US doctors not to induce labor earlier than 39 weeks into a pregnancy unless there are compelling medical reasons, the Houston Chronicle reports. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued its first statement on induced labor since 1999, with the lead author calling it an “epidemic.” Inductions have more than doubled since 1990, to 225 instances per 1,000 births in 2006.

But the guidelines are non-binding, and some doctors say they don’t address the reasons that the procedure has become so common—requests by patients who are tired of pregnancy or want to make sure the labor process fits neatly into allotted time off from work. “People keep pushing to induce earlier and earlier,” says one Houston OB-GYN. Many “want to get the baby out before something goes wrong.”

[Images (1)]

[Quotes (1)]

New guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists urge doctors not to induce labor early unless there are compelling medical reasons to do so. (Shutterstock)

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The new guidelines stress the issue a little more clearly than previously, but doctors still feel a lot of pressure from patients for it.
- Dr. Damla Dryden, OB-GYN Women's Specialists of Houston at Texas Children's Hospital

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 4 comments

riffran

Jul 22, 2009 9:42 AM CDT

Ob is a scary area to work in as it is. They don't need to add any more possible risk by messing with the process for the sake of conveinence by the docs or the patient. It should be kept as "normal" as possible.

PosterNutbag

Jul 22, 2009 2:18 AM CDT

What about the exponential rise in C-sections? "The Business of Being Born" is an excellent documentary about modern birth procedures.

Fondue

Jul 21, 2009 10:54 AM CDT

"requests by patients who....want to make sure the labor process fits neatly into allotted time off from work." In other countries both parents get maternal leave up to a year.

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Health

pregnancy • labor • gynecology • doctor • birth • American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists • obstetrician-gynecologists

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Doctors Urged to Induce Labor Less Often