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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffLabor induction carries various risks, including:
- Premature birth. Inducing labor too early may result in a premature birth, which poses risks for the baby — including difficulty breathing, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), and other problems. Even inductions close to term may cause these problems.
- Low heart rate. The medication used to induce labor (oxytocin) may provoke too many contractions, which can diminish your baby's oxygen supply and lower your baby's heart rate.
- Infection. Labor induction increases the risk of infection for both mother and baby.
- Umbilical cord problems. Labor induction increases the risk of the umbilical cord slipping into the vagina before delivery, which may compress the cord and decrease the baby's oxygen supply.
- The need for a C-section. By definition, induction promotes delivery before your body is ready for labor — which may lead to poor labor progress and the need for a C-section.
- An increased risk of uterine rupture if you've had a prior C-section. Uterine rupture is a rare but serious complication in which the uterus tears open along the scar line from a prior C-section. An emergency C-section is needed to prevent life-threatening complications.
Labor induction isn't appropriate if the placenta blocks the cervix (placenta previa), the baby is lying crosswise in the uterus (transverse fetal lie), or you have an active genital herpes infection.
References
- Inducing labor. March of Dimes. http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/240_20202.asp. Accessed April 1, 2009.
- Wing D. Induction of labor. http://www.uptodate/com/home/index.html. Accessed April 1, 2009.
- What to expect after your due date. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp069.cfm. Accessed April 1, 2009.
- Tita ATN, et al. Timing of elective repeat cesarean delivery at term and neonatal outcomes. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:111.
- Welischar J. Trial of labor after cesarean delivery. http://www.uptodate/com/home/index.html. Accessed April 16, 2009.
- Clark SL, et al. Neonatal and maternal outcomes associated with elective term delivery. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2009;100:156.
- Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 28, 2009.
