WHO recommendations on induction of labour, at or beyond term
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World Health Organization
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vii, 36 p.
This guideline provides updated WHO recommendations on the timing of induction of labour for women at or beyond term, replacing the 2018 recommendations in light of new evidence. It aims to support the provision of high-quality, evidence-informed maternal and perinatal care by guiding decisions on when labour should be induced to optimize outcomes for women and newborns. The recommendations were developed according to the WHO handbook for guideline development using the GRADE approach and an Evidence-to-Decision framework that considered the balance of benefits and harms, certainty of the evidence, values and preferences, resource implications, equity, acceptability and feasibility. The guideline recommends induction of labour for women with pregnancies confirmed to have reached 41 weeks of gestation and advises against routine induction before 41 weeks in women with uncomplicated pregnancies. It emphasizes the importance of accurate gestational age assessment, informed shared decision-making, continued antenatal surveillance, and implementation in settings with appropriate monitoring, skilled health personnel and access to emergency obstetric care. The document also outlines implementation considerations, research priorities, applicability issues and the methods used to formulate and update the recommendations.
This guideline provides updated WHO recommendations on the timing of induction of labour for women at or beyond term, replacing the 2018 recommendations in light of new evidence. It aims to support the provision of high-quality, evidence-informed maternal and perinatal care by guiding decisions on when labour should be induced to optimize outcomes for women and newborns. The recommendations were developed according to the WHO handbook for guideline development using the GRADE approach and an Evidence-to-Decision framework that considered the balance of benefits and harms, certainty of the evidence, values and preferences, resource implications, equity, acceptability and feasibility. The guideline recommends induction of labour for women with pregnancies confirmed to have reached 41 weeks of gestation and advises against routine induction before 41 weeks in women with uncomplicated pregnancies. It emphasizes the importance of accurate gestational age assessment, informed shared decision-making, continued antenatal surveillance, and implementation in settings with appropriate monitoring, skilled health personnel and access to emergency obstetric care. The document also outlines implementation considerations, research priorities, applicability issues and the methods used to formulate and update the recommendations.