Observational studyActa obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica2023
Is the increasing prevalence of labor induction accompanied by changes in pregnancy outcomes? An observational study of all singleton births at gestational weeks 37-42 in Norway during 1999-2019.
Observational study in Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Fetal death: Expert consensus of the French College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2025Guideline
- Comparing Costs to the Public Healthcare System Between Induction of Labor and Expectant Management, Stratified by Parity and Gestation: An Australian Population-Based, Retrospective Cohort Study.Birth (Berkeley, Calif.) · 2026Article
- Trends in risk factors associated with the increasing labor induction rate: A nationwide register study in Finland 2005-2023.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2026Article
- Optimal Timing of Term Births by Maternal Region of Birth: Elective Induction of Labor Compared to Expectant Management in Victoria, Australia.Birth (Berkeley, Calif.) · 2026Article
- Risk of pre-eclampsia according to gestational age across three decades: population-based study.Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology : the official journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2026Article
- Comparison of an Ultrasound-Based System and the Bishop Score for Predicting Labor Induction Timing in Singleton Pregnancies at Term: A Prospective Cohort Study.International journal of women's health · 2026Article
- Article
- Maternity care providers' perspectives on late-term gestation management (LATE-study): A cross-sectional survey.PloS one · 2025Article
- Foeto-Maternal outcomes of pregnancies beyond 41 weeks of gestation after induced or spontaneous labour.European journal of obstetrics & gynecology and reproductive biology: X · 2024Article
- Exploring the mystical relationship between the Moon, Sun, and birth rate.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Placental pathology and neonatal morbidity: exploring the impact of gestational age at birth.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Observational
- Exploring trends of severe postpartum haemorrhage: a hospital-based study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Article
- Is the increasing prevalence of labor induction accompanied by changes in pregnancy outcomes? An observational study of all singleton births at gestational weeks 37-42 in Norway during 1999-2019.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2023Observational
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionInduction of labor is often performed to prevent adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes, and has become increasingly common. We studied whether changes in prevalence of labor induction in gestational weeks 37-42 weeks were accompanied by changes in adverse pregnancy outcomes or mode of delivery. MATERIAL AND
methodsWe used data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, and included all singleton births in gestational weeks 37-42 in Norway, 1999-2019 (n = 1 127 945). We calculated the prevalence of labor induction and outcome measures according to year of birth. We repeated these calculations for each gestational week at birth.
resultsThe prevalence of labor induction increased from 9.7% to 25.9%, and the increase was particularly high in gestational week 41. A modest decline in fetal deaths was observed in all gestational weeks, except gestational week 41. The overall decline was from 0.18% in 1999-2004 to 0.13% during 2015-2019. There were no overall changes in other perinatal outcomes. The prevalence of postpartum hemorrhage ≥500 ml increased from 11.4% in 1999 to 30.1% in 2019, and operative deliveries increased slightly. The prevalence of acute cesarean section increased from 6.5% to 9.3%, whereas vacuum and/or forceps assisted deliveries increased from 7.8% to 10.4%.
conclusionsA high increase in labor inductions was accompanied by a modest decline in fetal deaths, but no decline in other adverse perinatal outcomes. In settings where the prevalence of adverse perinatal outcomes is low, the beneficial effect of increased use of labor induction may not outweigh the side effects or the costs.
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