Australian doctors have called for all pregnant women to be given the option to choose an elective labour induction at 39 weeks’ gestation.

National guidance on pregnancy care should also be updated to remove any ambiguity about induction of labour (IOL), according to the obstetrician-gynaecologists.

“It is time to end the cultural stigma and institutional ambivalence associated with IOL,” argue Dr Harsha Ananthram from Wollongong Hospital in NSW and Professor Ajay Rane at James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland.

“Information provision on risk, sans choice, serves no purpose to the patient to whom such risk may be of material significance.”