OBSTETRICS Outcomes of Elective Labour Induction and Elective Caesarean Section in Low-risk Pregnancies Between 37 and 41 Weeks’

Objective: To compare maternal and neonatal outcomes after elective induction of labour and elective Caesarean section with outcomes after spontaneous labour in women with low-risk, full-term pregnancies. Methods: We extracted birth data from 1996 to 2005 from an obstetrical database. Singleton pregnancies with vertex presentation, anatomically normal, appropriately grown fetuses, and no medical or surgical complications were included. Outcomes after elective induction of labour and elective Caesarean section were compared with the outcomes after spontaneous labour, using chi-square and Student t tests and logistic regression. Results: A total of 9686 women met the study criteria (3475 nulliparous, 6211 multiparous). The incidence of unplanne