Induced-Labor Births are Declining: CDC

Due to various medical reasons, future mothers may opt to have their labor induced early. Yet a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that fewer women are going this route. 

On Wednesday, officials presented their findings, which showed that induced labor declined for about 36 states. Researchers found that induction rates at 38 weeks--once considered full-term gestation but now called early-term gestation--declined throughout the 6-year period.

Chief medical officer for the March of Dimes, Dr. Edward McCabe said he believes that this information comes as good news. Many babies who are delivered preterm can suffer from an increased range of more complicated health issues.  

"There's this feeling that we've done so well with our premature babies, we've been seduced by the advances and think it's safe to induce delivery early," McCabe said, according to WebMD. "We've ignored the fact that there are significant risks of illness and death in late preterm and early term babies."

Declines in induction rates that were between 35 and 38 weeks between 2006 and 2012 were "widespread by age, race and state," according to Michelle Osterman, a statistician and author of the report. Findings revealed that the biggest drop was in induction at 38 weeks, which dropped by 16 percent over the time period.