title: Elective induction: When? Ever?
abstract: The frequency of labor induction has increased significantly in recent years. Although medically indicated inductions comprise a portion of this increase, elective inductions have increased in frequency as well. Given that elective inductions, by definition, provide no benefit from a strictly medical standpoint, it is particularly important to evaluate whether women who undergo these inductions incur greater risks than those who labor spontaneously. This article will assess whether elective inductions are associated with changes in pregnancy outcomes, and evaluate how these associations are influenced by parity and cervical ripeness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois, USA. w-grobman@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Grobman
mesh_terms: D020070:Cervical Ripening / Q000502:physiology; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007751:Labor, Induced / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012307:Risk Factors