This page provides information relating to The AIMS Guide to Induction of Labour including new guidance and AIMS comments on some key research projects that have been completed since the book was published.
A revised NICE guideline Inducing Labour was published in November 2021. You can read about the main changes from the previous guideline in this AIMS Journal article The new NICE guideline Inducing labour: what has changed?
The SWEPIS - Swedish Post-term Induction Study was published in 2019. It was designed to look at whether induction of labour at 41 weeks improves outcomes for mothers and babies with a low risk pregnancy compared with waiting till 42 weeks and inducing labour then if it has not already started (referred to as expectant management). Please find our critique of this study here
The study "Induction of labour at 39 weeks and adverse outcomes in low-risk pregnancies according to ethnicity, socioeconomic deprivation, and parity: A national cohort study in England" was published in July 2023. It is an analysis using routinely collected data by researchers at St George’s, University of London and partners. You can find our critique of this study here.
The results of the 'Big Baby trial' that was designed to find out whether early induction would reduce the chance of shoulder dystocia for babies predicted to be 'large for gestational age' was published in May 2025. You can read our critique of this study here Big Baby Trial | AIMS
We have published an updated review of the evidence on whether induction increases the chance of an unplanned caesarean birth Induction and the chance of a caesarean: what’s the evidence? | AIMS
A Cochrane review published in January 2026 compared Methods of induction of labour. It found no clear evidence that any method was better than vaginal misoprostol (prostaglandin) in resulting in a vaginal birth within 24 hours or reducing the chance of an unplanned caesarean or perinatal death. Certain methods, including oral misoprostol and mechanical devices for encouraging cervical opening may reduce the chance of excessive contractions that affect the baby's heartbeat. Note that vaginal misoprostol (≤ 50 μg) probably increased the risk of this when compared with expectant management.