Induction of labour
| Date published: | 23 July 2008 |
| State: | Published |
Induced labour has an impact on the birth experience of women. It is less efficient and more painful than spontaneous labour, and is also more likely to require epidural anaesthesia and assisted delivery. Induction of labour is a relatively common procedure, occurring in about 15% of pregnancies.
This guidance is a review of an inherited guideline that was published in 2001 and is in need of updating due to changes in both the evidence base and clinical practice. The aim of the review is to attempt to reduce the continuing high incidence of unsuccessful inductions leading to caesarean section, and establish the preferred policy in women with a cervix unfavorable for induction.
Guidance on the following aspects of care will be provided:
- The clinical indications for induction of labour
- Appropriate place and timing of induction of labour
- The care that should be offered to women during the induction process (including fetal and maternal monitoring, analgesia and emotional support)
- The effectiveness of methods used for cervical priming
- The effectiveness used for induction of labour
- The management that should be offered if the cervix is unfavourable
- The management of complications of induction
The following documents are freely available to download in PDF format from the NICE website:
Implementation - Costing Statement
For general enquiries about this guideline please e-mail: enquiries@ncc-wch.org.uk.
Updated 16 Oct 2008