National Birthing Guidelines Are Effective in Changing Clinical Practice

In 2008, the U.S.-based National Quality Forum (NQF) advised against elective early term delivery (between 37 weeks and <39 weeks' gestation), partially because of excess risk for adverse neonatal outcomes (e.g., respiratory morbidity requiring neonatal intensive care unit admission). The NQF guideline recommends against elective induction of labor for vaginal delivery between 37 and <39 weeks and against elective cesarean delivery between 37 and <39 weeks unless labor has begun or membranes have spontaneously ruptured. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other professional groups support the NQF guideline.

To assess the impact of the NQF guideline, researchers conducted an international study that included some 26,00…