Both women and doctors are becoming more risk-averse to spon­taneous vaginal births, leading to rising rates of labour induction and planned caesarean delivery, a leading obstetrician says.

New figures from the AIHW show that in 2017 some 45% of low-risk women giving birth for the first time in the public system were induced.

The number of low-risk primigravida women being induced across both private and public sector hospitals rose from 31% in 2004 to 43% in 2017, and the rate of caesarean births exceeded 29%.

But according to the president of RANZCOG, Professor Vijay Roach, this reflects a growing body of good evidence that delivering at 39 weeks’ reduces the rate of stillbirths and pre-eclampsia.