The practice of inducing labor or performing a Caesarean section at 37 to 39 weeks of pregnancy for no medical reason varies widely at U.S. hospitals, according to the Leapfrog Group's 2010 Annual Survey of U.S. hospitals, Modern Healthcare reports. In consultation with medical professionals, Leapfrog set a 12% benchmark rate for elective deliveries before 39 weeks. According to data it collected from 773 hospitals, more than half of the facilities reported a rate higher than 12% and some hospitals had early elective delivery rates as high as 60% (McKinney, Modern Healthcare, 1/26). Twenty-nine percent of hospitals reported early delivery rates of 5% or less. "[E]lective inductions have now outpaced medical inductions," Leapfrog CEO Leah Binder said. She added, "This is the first real evidence that the practice of scheduling newborn deliveries without medical reasons is common and varies among hospitals." Infants delivered earlier than 39 weeks could have a higher risk of death, spending more time in neonatal intensive care units and having lifelong health problems.

Childbirth Connection Executive Director Maureen Corry said that 25% of early births result from a caregiver's concern that the pregnant woman is overdue. Another 19% were medical inductions, 19% were related to the pregnant woman's desire to give birth early and 17% from a concern about the size of the fetus (Gardner, Health Day, 1/26).

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