Early Induced Labor May Reduce C-sections.

• Position: NEWBORNS - Brief article

Healthy first-time mothers whose labor is induced in the 39th week of pregnancy are less likely to deliver by cesarean section, compared to those who wait for labor to begin naturally, indicates a study appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers also found that infants born to women induced at 39 weeks are no more likely to experience stillbirth, newborn death, or other severe complications compared to infants born to uninduced women.

Although cesarean delivery is safe for mother and baby, it is major surgery and does carry risks. It takes longer to recover from a C-section, compared to vaginal birth, and the surgery may increase the risk of...