The association between the regular use of early-term labor induction and improved birth outcomes: new evidence from an Italian hospital.
BACKGROUND
Associations have been recently reported between the frequent use of early-term preventive labor induction and improvements in multiple parameters of birth health. We sought to replicate these findings in an Italian hospital.


METHODS
The outcomes of 120 consecutively delivered women who were exposed to the alternative method of care were compared to the outcomes of 159 women who received standard management. The primary and secondary outcomes were group cesarean delivery rate and group adverse outcome index score.


RESULTS
Exposed women had a higher induction rate, a lower cesarean delivery rate (1.7% vs. 43.4%), and a lower group AOI Score (0.2 vs.5.8).


CONCLUSIONS
Exposure to high levels of early term preventive labor induction was associated with a lower group cesarean delivery rate and improvement in several other major birth outcomes. An adequately powered randomized controlled trial is needed to further explore this alternative method of care.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mandic Hospital, ASTT-LECCO, Merate, Lecco, Italy.
Gregorio
G
Del Boca
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mandic Hospital, ASTT-LECCO, Merate, Lecco, Italy.
Anna
A
Biffi
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mandic Hospital, ASTT-LECCO, Merate, Lecco, Italy.
Roberto
R
Zagni
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mandic Hospital, ASTT-LECCO, Merate, Lecco, Italy - damiani14@alice.it.
Gianluca R
GR
Damiani
Department of Family Medicine and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
James M
JM
Nicholson
D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007751:Labor, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult