Truely elective inductions (for instance I need the tax break, or the
OB is going on vacation) are potentially dangerous (even
life-threatening) to the newborn.  In addition to personally having
cared for neonates with severe respiratory distress syndrome who were
delivered via an elective C-SECTION prior to 39 weeks gestation
without prenatal assessment lung maturity (via an amniocentesis) the
OB literature (over the past 25 years) is replete with cases of this
type!  Delivering a baby via c-section before its time without a
medical (maternal or fetal) indication has been associated with death
and severe, permanent neurologic damage- from bleeding in the brain!
With respect to elective c-sections prior to 39 weeks gestation it is
actually contrary to ACOG guidelines to do them without prenatal
documentation of fetal lung maturity!

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