Timely Birth--the facts about induction

Here's an article from Midwifery Today with some well-presented info on the indications, reasons and risks for induction of labor, as well as some practical tips on how to avoid preterm labor.
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/timely.asp

Labor is usually artificially induced in order to avoid "post-dates syndrome" in the baby, which includes growth retardation and a rise in the incidence of stillbirth in babies who have been in the womb longer than the normal gestation period (the average of which is, by the way, not 40 weeks, but 41 weeks and one day). But it is used far too commonly: modern research indicates that there is no significant rise in stillbirths between 40 and 42 weeks, and a very slight rise between 42 and 43 (all rates are below 1 in 1000). Also, determining a baby's development and gestational age by ultrasound is very imprecise and becomes more so as the pregnancy progresses, so it is very difficult to be certain that a "post-dates" baby is actually postmature.

The main risk with induction (there are many, including cesarean section, uterine rupture, cord prolapse, meconium aspiration, fetal distress, neonatal jaundice, maternal hemorrhage and even the rare but disastrous amniotic fluid embolism) is prematurity, which is the leading cause of death in newborns other than genetic anomaly. Premature babies are more likely to have serious breathing problems, hypoglycemia, trouble maintaining body temperature, colic, and trouble nursing and/or digesting.

Nutshell: Avoid induction if at all possible; it is very, very rarely necessary and, when it isn't, it causes far more problems than it solves. There is little reason to be concerned about an "overdue" baby and much more about prematurity. Even if your doctor or midwife schedules an induction (over one third of American women's labors are induced), you do not have to attend. Studies show that waiting for labor to begin spontaneously is associated with no greater occurrence of problems and fewer interventions in labor (and hence fewer problems for mama & baby).

The rest of the article is on avoiding premature labor, which is a very important topic in itself and deserves its own post.