Patient requested induction of labor

Abstract

Induction of labor when the cervix is not ready or ripe often leads to cesarean section. There is evidence that a significant number of inductions have no medical indication and that women’s requests for induction are contributing to these rising numbers. Midwives have historically included women in the delivery decision-making process while priding themselves on the use of evidence-based research when making clinical decisions. In this manuscript, an ethical dilemma is examined with respect to patient requested induction of labor and ways to arrive at a clinical decision that includes ethical theory, clinical presentation and the complexities of the individual.