Comparison of Maternal Labor-Related Complications and Neonatal Outcomes Following Elective Induction of Labor at 39 Weeks of Gestation vs Expectant Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

(Abstracted from JAMA Network Open 2023;6(5):e2313162) Induction of labor historically has been discouraged when there is no medical indication, such as for postterm pregnancies, suspected cases of poor fetal growth, prelabor rupture of membranes, or hypertension. This is because elective induction is associated with a higher risk of cesarean delivery (CD) and adverse birth outcomes than spontaneous labor.