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! *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html