Induction (birth)

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Induction is a way of artificially bringing on labour in a woman.

Common causes for induction include:

The baby is believed to be getting too big
Postdate pregnancy, i.e. if the pregnancy has gone past the 42 week mark
Intrauterine fetal growth retardation (IUGR)
There are health risks to the woman in continuing the pregnancy (e.g. she has pre-eclampsia)
Premature rupture of the membranes (PROM); this is when the membranes rupture, but labour does not start within a specific amount of time.
Scheduling concerns

Induced labour tends to be more intense and painful for the woman, often leading to the increased use of analgesics and other pain-relieving phamaceuticals. This cascade of intervention has been shown to lead to an increased likelihood of caesarean section delivery for the baby. See: Roberts, Tracy, Peat in references. Inductions should only be undertaken for significant medical reasons.

Methods of induction

Methods of inducing labour include:

Artificial rupture of the membranes (AROM or ARM) ("breaking the waters")
Cervical prostaglandin gel, such as dinoprostone (Cervidil).
Intravenous administration of synthetic oxytocin preparations, such as Pitocin.

If induction does not work, a Caesarean section may be required.

References

Rates for obstetric intervention among private and public patients in Australia: population based descriptive study Christine L Roberts, Sally Tracy, Brian Peat, "British Medical Journal", v321:140 July 2000

External links

[Family.doctor.org]
Harman & Kim. "[Current Trends in Cervical Ripening and Labor Induction]" American Family Physician 1999; 60:477-84.
Kripke. "[Facts About Labor Induction]" American Family Physician 1999; 60:484.

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