Avoiding Induced Labor Is More Beneficial To Moms And Babies

http://www.medicaln ewstoday. com/articles/ 98156.php

Avoiding Induced Labor Is More Beneficial To Moms And Babies

Throughout pregnancy, many women eagerly anticipate the day they finally
will meet their new baby. This is especially true in the last few weeks of
pregnancy when, as a baby grows larger, an expectant mother becomes
increasingly uncomfortable and impatient to finish out her pregnancy.
Despite the anticipation, research shows that allowing labor to start
naturally, rather than induce, is more beneficial to both mom and baby.

Labor induction, or artificially initiating labor through the use of
medicine, is performed for a variety of reasons. Today, one of the more
common reasons for induction is “convenience. ” Hospitals can staff extra
nurses, physicians can schedule births for times that are most convenient
for them, and expectant parents can make work and family arrangements in
advance according to their scheduled induction date.

At first glance, labor induction may seem more convenient; however, it’s
important to recognize that induction may lead to a longer labor and overall
hospital stay, more medical interventions, higher costs, risk of potential
for litigation, and adverse outcome for a mother or baby.

In the last weeks of pregnancy, a woman’s body and her baby perform crucial
functions to prepare for birth. The baby’s lungs mature and he or she
develops a protective layer of fat. In addition, the baby drops down into
the pelvis, the cervix tilts forward and softens, and irregular contractions
help the cervix thin and begin to dilate. In most cases, a woman’s body goes
into labor only when her body and her baby are ready.

“Research at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School suggests
that it is a signal from the baby that starts the process of labor,” says
Debby Amis, RN, BSN, CD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE. “The best way for a mother to
know that her baby is fully mature and ready to be born is to allow labor to
begin on its own.”

Lamaze International recommends
<http://www.lamaze. org/ChildbirthEd ucators/Resource sforEducators/ CarePracticePape rs/LaborBeginsOn ItsOwn/tabid/ 487/Default. aspx>that
a woman allows her body to go into labor on its own, unless there is a true
medical reason to induce. Allowing labor to start on its own reduces the
possibility of complications, including a vacuum or forceps-assisted birth,
fetal heart rate changes, babies with low birth weight or jaundice, and
cesarean surgery. Studies consistently show that inducing labor almost
doubles a woman’s chance of having cesarean surgery.

“By avoiding induction, women are less likely to encounter other medical
interventions, ” says Lamaze International President Allison J. Walsh, IBCLC,
LCCE, FACCE. “Experiencing natural contractions and laboring without
unnecessary medical interventions increases a woman’s freedom to respond to
contractions by moving and changing positions, both of which facilitate the
process of labor and birth.”

Avoiding induction also decreases the likelihood of a premature birth.
Because neither doctors nor mothers can determine a baby’s due date with 100
percent accuracy, babies may be induced accidentally before they reach full
term (at least 37 completed weeks). A scheduled induction at 39 weeks could
result in giving birth to a preterm baby who is only 36 weeks gestation.
Preterm babies miss critical stages of development that take place during
the last weeks of pregnancy and are at risk are for several postnatal
complications. A study published in *The Journal of the American Medical
Association* examined 4.5 million births in the United States and Canada and
concluded that babies born only a few weeks early-at 34 weeks through 36
weeks-were nearly 3 times more likely to die in their first year of life
than full-term infants.

When medically necessary, inducing labor can be a life saving procedure. The
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
<http://www.acog. org/>states
that labor may be induced if it is more risky for a woman’s baby to remain
inside her body than to be born.

Medical reasons for induction include, a woman’s water has broken and labor
has not begun for several hours; her pregnancy is post term (more than 42
weeks); she has pregnancy-induced high blood pressure; she has health
problems that could affect her baby, like diabetes; there is an infection in
her uterus; or her baby is growing too slowly.

First-time mothers are most vulnerable to the risks of inductions. Contrary
to what many believe, suspecting a large baby is not a medical reason for
induction. It is very difficult for a doctor or midwife to determine the
size of a woman’s baby before birth with accuracy, even with the use of
ultrasound. Studies consistently show that inducing for a suspected large
baby increases, rather than decreases, the incidence of cesarean birth.

Lamaze International has developed a care practice paper entitled “Labor
Begins on its Own,”
<http://www.lamaze. org/ChildbirthEd ucators/Resource sforEducators/ CarePracticePape rs/LaborBeginsOn ItsOwn/tabid/ 487/Default. aspx>which
presents the research surrounding labor induction and tips for avoiding
induced labor
<http://www.lamaze. org/ExpectantPar ents/Pregnancyan dBirthResources/ MoreTipsandTools /InductionTips/ tabid/255/ Default.aspx>.

Childbirth education classes, such as Lamaze, provide women with the tools
and information they need to make educated choices during labor and birth.
To find a Lamaze class in your area, visit http://www.lamaze. org.

*About Lamaze International *

Since its founding in 1960, Lamaze International has worked to promote,
support and protect normal birth through education and advocacy through the
dedicated efforts of professional childbirth educators, providers and
parents. An international organization with regional, state and area
affiliates, its members and volunteer leaders include childbirth educators,
nurses, midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, physicians, students and
consumers.

Lamaze International <http://www.lamaze. org/