***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: OBJECTIVE : To compare induction of labor at gestational age 41 weeks with expectant management in regard to neonatal morbidity . Secondary aims were to assess the effect of these managements on mode of delivery and maternal complications . METHODS : Between September 2002 and July 2004 , postterm women with singleton cephalic presentation and no prelabor rupture of membranes were r and omly assigned to induction of labor at 289 days or antenatal fetal surveillance every third day until spontaneous labor . Main outcome measures were neonatal morbidity , operative delivery rates , and maternal complications . RESULTS : Five hundred eight women were r and omly assigned , 254 in each group . No differences of clinical importance were observed in women in whom labor was induced compared with women who were expectantly managed with regard to the following outcomes : neonates whose 5-minute Apgar score was less than 7 ( three neonates in the induction group compared with four in the monitoring group , P=.72 ) ; neonates whose umbilical cord pH was less than 7 ( three compared with two , P=.69 ) ; prevalence of cesarean delivery ( 28 compared with 33 , P=.50 ) ; or prevalence of operative vaginal delivery ( 32 compared with 27 , P=.49 ) . In the induction group more women had precipitate labors ( 33 compared with 12 , P<.01 ; number needed to treat was 13 ) , and the duration of second stage of labor was more often less than 15 minutes ( 94 compared with 56 , P<.01 ; number needed to treat was 7 ) . CONCLUSION : No differences were found between the induced and monitored groups regarding neonatal morbidity or mode of delivery , and the outcomes were generally good . CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION : Clinical Trials.gov , www . clinical trials.gov , NCT00385229 LEVEL OF EVIDENCE : OBJECTIVE To clarify the safety of elective induction of labor at 39 weeks of gestation . STUDY DESIGN Prospect i ve r and omized study . SUBJECTS AND METHODS Uncomplicated nulliparas ( N = 194 ) were r and omly assigned at 36 weeks of gestation . Labor was electively induced in 63 women at 39 weeks of gestation in the active management group ( I group , N = 98 ) . Spontaneous labor onset was expected with semi-weekly nonstress test ( NST ) and amniotic fluid index ( AFI ) by 42 weeks of gestation in the expectant group ( E group , N = 96 ) . Perinatal events were compared between the 2 groups . RESULTS A significantly higher incidence of meconium-stained amnios ( 19.4 % vs 3.2 % ) and fetal resuscitation ( 16.7 % vs 4.8 % ) was found in the E group than in the I group . Also , although a significantly higher incidence of epidural analgesia was noted in the I group ( 89 % ) than in the E group ( 54 % ) ( labor onset > or = 39 weeks , N = 72 ) , the duration of the 1st stage was shorter in I group and the duration of the 2nd stage was not significantly different . No other significant difference was noted between the 2 groups in terms of the rate of C-section , blood loss , incidence of pathological FHR , birth weight , Apgar score , umbilical arterial pH , or admission to NICU . CONCLUSION Active management of labor at 39 weeks could be made as safely as expectant management with modified biophysical profile monitoring OBJECTIVE Management of the uncomplicated pregnancy prolonged beyond the estimated date of confinement is controversial , particularly when the cervix is unfavorable for induction . The benefit of reducing potential fetal risk with induction of labor must be balanced against the morbidity associated with this procedure . The objective of this study was to compare two strategies for managing postterm pregnancy ( i.e. , immediate induction and expectant management ) . STUDY DESIGN Four hundred forty patients with uncomplicated pregnancies at 41 weeks ' gestation were r and omized to either immediate induction of labor ( n = 265 ) or expectant management ( n = 175 ) . Patients with expectant management underwent nonstress testing and amniotic fluid volume assessment twice per week . Patients in the induction group underwent induction within 24 hours of r and omization . To evaluate the efficacy of intracervical prostagl and in E2 gel , patients in the induction group were r and omized in a 2:1 scheme to receive either 0.5 mg prostagl and in E2 gel or placebo gel intracervically 12 hours before induction of labor with oxytocin . RESULTS The incidence of adverse perinatal outcome ( neonatal seizures , intracranial hemorrhage , the need for mechanical ventilation , or nerve injury ) was 1.5 % in the induction group and 1 % in the expectant management group ( p > 0.05 ) . There were no fetal deaths in either group . There were no differences in mean birth weight or the frequency of macrosomia ( birth weight > or = 4000 gm ) between the two groups ( p > 0.05 ) . Regardless of parity , prostagl and in E2 intracervical gel was not more effective than placebo in ripening the cervix . The cesarean delivery rate was not significantly different in the expectant ( 18 % ) , prostagl and in E2 gel ( 23 % ) , or placebo gel ( 18 % ) groups . CONCLUSIONS Adverse perinatal outcome in otherwise uncomplicated pregnancies of > or = 41 weeks is very low with either of the management schemes described . Thus from the perspective of perinatal morbidity or mortality either management scheme is acceptable In 345 women with a favorable cervical score at due date , labor was either induced by means of intravaginal application of tablets containing 3 mg of prostagl and in E2 or spontaneous onset of labor was awaited until the 42nd week of pregnancy . Eighty percent of the nulliparae and 96.3 % of the multiparae of the induction group gave birth within 24 h of the administration of the first tablet . All pertinent delivery intervals were significantly shorter in this group compared to those women where spontaneous onset of labor was awaited . The rate of operative deliveries was lower in the induction group . With the exception of 1 fetal death 3 days after due date , fetal outcome was excellent in both groups . Elective induction was at least equivalent to awaiting the onset of spontaneous labor and was not associated with higher complication rates due to the method of induction Labor characteristics after intracervical application of 0.5 mg prostagl and in ( PG ) E2 gel ( n = 83 ) versus intravenous administration of oxytocin ( n = 82 ) for labor induction were investigated in uncomplicated prolonged pregnancies with unripe cervix . The induction to delivery time as well as the total oxytocin dose were significantly reduced in the PGE2 group ( p < 0.001 ) . Cesarean sections , instrumental deliveries and fetal distress had the same frequency , but the failures of trial were significantly higher in the oxytocin group than in the PGE2 group ( 20.7 vs. 6 % , p < 0.01 ) . Twenty-four percent of women needed a second PGE2 dose , and almost half of the women in the PGE2 group experienced ' spontaneous ' labor . More neonates in the oxytocin group had 5-min Apgar scores < 7 ( p < 0.05 ) . Intracervical PGE2 gel application is superior to intravenous oxytocin in terms of shortening the induction-delivery interval and increasing the frequency of successful vaginal delivery . In addition , it is safe for mother and fetus Two hundred consecutive women with uncomplicated pregnancies , at or within 4 days of their expected date of confinement , were prospect ively r and omized into 2 groups . One group had expectant management , with twice weekly surveillance tests , while the other group had 3 mg of vaginal prostagl and in E2 as outpatient treatment . There were 104 women in the expectant group and 70 in the induction group ( 26 women allocated to induction preferred no treatment ) . The average number of days to delivery was 1.6 in the induction group and 5.2 in the expectant group ( p < 0.001 ) . While meconium was much less frequent in the induction group ( p < 0.002 ) , all other outcome measures , including cesarean section rates , incidence of macrosomia , and Apgar scores , were similar in the two groups A prospect i ve r and omized controlled trial design ed to investigate selective planned delivery is reported : 264 obstetrically normal women in the 38th week of pregnancy were admitted to this trial and 184 completed it . The infants of mothers in the planned delivery group had higher serum bilirubin levels on the fifth day post partum than control infants but no baby required treatment for hyperbilirubinaemia . Mothers in the planned delivery group required significantly greater amounts of pethidine  while control mothers had a significantly higher incidence of meconium staining of the amniotic fluid . However , the infants in the two groups had similar Apgar scores at birth . There was one stillbirth in the control group ; this was due to unrecognized fetal hypoxia during labour induced at 42 weeks for postmaturity In a prospect i ve r and omized study , pregnancies with unfavorable cervix and well established gestational age of at least 42 weeks were selected for management by either antepartum fetal testing or prostagl and in gel induction of labor . Of the 108 pregnancies studied , 57 ( 53 % ) had labor induced and 51 ( 47 % ) continued without intervention . Comparison of the two groups showed no difference in meconium staining , fetal distress , length of first stage of labor , the need for intervention , or the mode of delivery . In terms of Apgar score the neonatal outcome was not significantly different but a greater proportion of the babies ( 7.8 % versus 1.8 % ) in the noninduced group required intubation . Our data show that there is no particular advantage in letting the pregnancy go beyond 42 completed weeks of gestation especially if prostagl and in is available for induction of labor OBJECTIVE To study the cesarean rate between expectant management and immediate induction in the otherwise uncomplicated postterm pregnancy with favorable cervix . STUDY DESIGN A total of 249 women with uncomplicated pregnancies at 41 weeks plus 3 days ( 290 days ) with favorable cervix ( Bishop score > or = 6 ) were r and omized to either expectant management ( n=125 ) or immediate induction of labor ( n=124 ) . The women in the induction group were sent to labor ward for induction by artificial rupture of membranes ( ARM ) and /or oxytocin infusion . The women with expectant management had nonstress test ( NST ) and amniotic fluid index ( AFI ) performed once a week and twice a week after 43 weeks of gestation until spontaneous labor . RESULTS The cesarean rate was not different between expectant management and immediate induction ( 21.6 % versus 26.6 % ; P=0.36 ) . Ninety-five percent of the expectant group delivered within 1 week after enrollment , and all of them delivered within 9 days after r and omization . Maternal and fetal complications in both groups were not different . There was also no difference in the mean birth weight ( P=0.24 ) and the frequency of macrosomia ( birth weight > or = 4000 g ) between the two groups ( P=0.23 ) . CONCLUSION Cesarean section rate between expectant management and immediate induction in the otherwise uncomplicated postterm pregnancy with favorable cervix was not different . Due to the very low adverse perinatal outcome , both expectant management and immediate induction are acceptable Objecfive To determine the proper management of pregnancy  in uncomplicated cases going beyond 42 weeks Objective To assess the efficacy of sweeping of membranes beyond 40 weeks of gestation in reducing the incidence of induction of labour , when induction was planned at 42 weeks Background British women are increasingly delaying childbirth . The proportion giving birth over the age of 35 rose from 12 % in 1996 to 20 % in 2006 . Women over this age are at a higher risk of perinatal death , and antepartum stillbirth accounts for 61 % of all such deaths . Women over 40 years old have a similar stillbirth risk at 39 weeks as women who are between 25 and 29 years old have at 41 weeks . Many obstetricians respond to this by suggesting labour induction at term to forestall some of the risk . In a national survey of obstetricians 37 % already induce women aged 40–44 years . A substantial minority of parents support such a policy , but others do not on the grounds that it might increase the risk of Caesarean section . However trials of induction in other high-risk scenarios have not shown any increase in Caesarean sections , rather the reverse . If induction for women over 35 did not increase Caesareans , or even reduced them , it would plausibly improve perinatal outcome and be an acceptable intervention . We therefore plan to perform a trial to test the effect of such an induction policy on Caesarean section rates . This trial is funded by the NHS Research for Patient Benefit ( RfPB ) Programme . Design The 35/39 trial is a multi-centre , prospect i ve , r and omised controlled trial . It is being run in twenty UK centres and we aim to recruit 630 nulliparous women ( 315 per group ) aged over 35 years of age , over two years . Women will be r and omly allocated to one of two groups : Induction of labour between 390/7 and 396/7weeks gestation . Expectant management i.e. awaiting spontaneous onset of labour unless a situation develops necessit 
    Output:
    
However , operative vaginal birth was more common in the inductions at < 41 weeks ' gestation subgroup compared with inductions at later gestational ages .
A policy of labour induction at or beyond term compared with expectant management is associated with fewer perinatal deaths and fewer caesarean sections ; but more operative vaginal births .
NICU admissions were lower and fewer babies had low Apgar scores with induction .