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Labor induction is associated with excess risk for cesarean delivery; however, criteria for failed induction remain ill defined. To evaluate benefits and risks of progressively longer latent-phase duration in induced labor, investigators conducted a secondary analysis of >1300 participants in a prospective U.S. multicenter study of fetal pulse oximetry (JW Womens Health Dec 7 2006). Eligible participants had unfavorable cervical status (defined as <2 cm dilated and less than completely effaced, regardless of membrane status) and underwent labor induction with oxytocin after rupture of membranes, whether artificial (1219 pregnancies) or spontaneous (128 pregnancies). Cervical ripening was performed in about half of women who initially had in…