We know what the evidence says…or maybe we don’t (or maybe they don’t) :/ We know what our providers do, but do we know if they’re following standards set by our professional organizations?
I’m not a physician or a midwife, but I do know they look at many factors when deciding if induction is the best thing for our patients. But we should still know what the current recommendations are 😃 So here’s hoping I didn’t miss anything…(and that no one minds me sharing the information).

Reason for induction should always clearly be charted!

Here is a handy little guide from ACOG and SMFM for medically indicated late-preterm and early-term deliveries:
You can read the Committee Opinion Number 560 – April 2013 in its entirety here.

Things to remember:

     • These recommendations depend on an accurate estimate of gestational age.
     • This list is not all-inclusive.
     • These are recommendations only and must be individualized and re-evaluated as new evidence becomes available.

Here is a handy little guide from ACOG and SMFM for nonmedically indicated early-term deliveries:
You can read the Committee Opinion Number 561 – April 2013 in its entirety here.

Here is a list of neonatal morbidities associated with an early-term delivery:

Another little box with common examples of medical indications for late-preterm or early-term deliveries:

Things to remember:

• SGA, LGA, and polyhydramnios alone are no longer single indictators for induction of labor (and haven’t been for a long time) prior to 39 weeks.

Other great articles that talk about induction:
     • AWHONN’s Recommendations on Reducing Preventable Harm to Moms and Babies by Eliminating Overuse of Labor Induction – September 23, 2014
     • AWHONN’s Position Statement on Non-Medically Indicated Induction and Augmentation of Labor
     • ACOG Practice Bulletin – Clinical Management Guidelines for Obstetrician-Gynecologists – Number 107 – August 2009
     • This form is provided by ACOG to help providers appropriately and safely schedule inductions – ACOG’s Patient Safety Checklist. I work for two hospitals that have implemented Bishop Score requirements for all non-medically indicated inductions. If you’re facility does not have something like this in place, think about being the nurse that initiates a change like that 😃

All healthcare providers should be educating their patients on the risks of non-medically indicated inductions. Here are some great resources for women and healthcare providers:
     • AWHONN’s Go the Full 40 Campaign
     • Printable flyers provided by the Go the Full 40 Campaign (we hand these out in triage and leave stacks in physician and midwife offices 😉) Also available in Spanish.
     • ACOG’s Labor Induction: Resource Overview for healthcare providers and women and patients.

Until my next delivery ❤