Intended for healthcare professionals

Minerva

Early induction of labour . . . and other stories

BMJ 2017; 359 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j5442 (Published 30 November 2017) Cite this as: BMJ 2017;359:j5442

When to induce labour

Last year a randomised trial among primigravid women 35 years or older showed that adverse effects were no more frequent when labour was induced at 39 weeks than when the pregnancy was managed expectantly (N Engl J Med doi:10.1056/NEJMoa150911). Analysis of routinely collected hospital episode statistics from England also finds that earlier induction of labour is safe (PLOS Med doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002425). Indeed, induction at 40 weeks carried a slightly lower risk of perinatal infant death than expectant management.

Optimum levels of blood pressure

Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the treatment of hypertension in people aged under 80 recommend aiming …

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