Debunking a labor myth

Last spring, when Stanford researcher Douglas Owens, MD, mentioned to me an upcoming study on the risks of labor induction, I took an immediate (and personal) interest. I was six months pregnant at the time and already knew that my labor would be induced; I also knew that induction was associated with a slight increase in the risk for c-section delivery. Or, I thought I knew. As it turns out, this isn't necessarily the case: the research by Owens and colleagues shows it's possible to induce labor without raising c-section rates. The findings, which were music to my ears back then, appear in the current issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, and my colleague Erin Digitale does a great job reporting on them here. As for me, I had no complications with my induction, but I'm thrilled this information is out there for other women in my shoes.