The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology | July 2021 | RCOG responds to NICE draft guidelines on induced labour

The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology have responded to NICE's draft guidelines on induced labour.

The NICE guidelines recommend that labour should be offered to women of Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, women with a BMI over 30, and women aged over 35 years, due to these groups being more likely to experience adverse outcomes if their pregnancies go past 42 weeks.

Commenting on the new draft guidelines, Dr Pat O'Brien, consultant obstetrician and Vice President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said:

"We welcome an update to the NICE guidelines around inducing women's labour (or "inducing labour in women who have gone past their due date"). It's been more than 10 years since the previous guidelines were introduced and it's vitally important the new research published since then is acknowledged and the advice for women updated accordingly.

"This proposed update takes into account the increasing body of evidence that pregnancies that reach, or pass, 41 weeks are associated with a small increase in the risk of stillbirth and perinatal death and that induction of labour reduces this risk.

"Induction of labour is a common and safe procedure with around 1 in 5 labours induced in the UK.  A woman's individual needs and preferences should always be taken into account and she must have the opportunity to discuss the options with a healthcare professional so that she can make an informed decision."

Full details are available from the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

This free site is ad-supported. Learn more
​