Compared to spontaneously born children, these children more often have injuries such as a broken arm and are put on a ventilator more often. In the longer term, the researchers also saw that the child was hospitalized more frequently for respiratory disorders and infections. “In addition, we saw that women more often had an artificial delivery after an induction and that they were cut more often. When tearing, it was often less far, by the way,” says Lilian Peters, epidemiologist. “Women who gave birth for the first time were also more likely to have an emergency cesarean section. Women who had given birth before had this slightly less often after induction.”
Increasing trend
The study, conducted in Australia under the supervision of Professor Hannah Dahlen of Western Sydney University and epidemiologist Dr Lilian Peters of Amsterdam UMC/AVAG, shows that out of a total group of 475,000 young and healthy women between the ages of 20 and 35, 70,000 women (15 percent) received an induction for no medical reason.
The registration data from 2001 to 2017 were used for the study. It appears that induction is becoming more and more frequent. In 2018, 45 percent of new mothers in Australia received an induction compared to 25 percent in 2008. Globally, in many high-income countries, induction of labor is increasingly occurring at 37 and 38 weeks. “Especially the last weeks in the womb are very important for the neurological and health development of children,” says Peters, “If there is no medical indication, you should not let the child come earlier. This global increase is really worrying.”
In the Netherlands, birth is more often induced at 37 and 38 weeks of pregnancy than in Finland, for example, but it is unclear how often there is a medical reason for this. Ank de Jonge, Professor of Midwifery Science at Amsterdam UMC AVAG: “Our study shows that the pros and cons of an introduction should always be carefully weighed up.”
WHO advises against early induction
Induction of labor is often medically necessary if the mother has, for example, high blood pressure or diabetes. Or if there is another major health problem that threatens the health of the mother or the baby. This study is in line with the views of the World Health Organization which has advised against induction without medical indication before 41 weeks gestation.
By: National Care Guide
–
