Oregon hospitals curbing induced births

PORTLAND — The March of Dimes Foundation has persuaded 35 of Oregon’s 58 hospitals to stop scheduling early deliveries unless there’s a medical reason.

Patients who asked for an induced birth because of back pain or for scheduling reasons are told to wait for the full 39 weeks of pregnancy. The reason is to avoid risks that the baby might die or have lung problems or reduced brain function.

The Oregonian reports the “Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait” campaign began late last year and is already having an effect. For example, in the first nine months of this year, the rate of induced births at Hillsboro’s Tuality Community Hospital has dropped from 9 percent to less than 1 percent.