Inducing labour in older women does not increase complications, study finds

Pregnant women aged 35 and older who have their labour induced have no higher risk of caesarean section or other maternal or neonatal adverse outcomes than those who wait until spontaneous onset of labour, shows a UK study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.1

The risk of stillbirth, hypertensive disease, gestational diabetes mellitus, and placenta praevia are all higher in pregnant women over 35. Inducing labour at or before the due date may be beneficial in this age group, because 38 weeks is the gestational age at …