The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research
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J. Obstet. Gynaecol. Res. · Jun 2018
Labor induction versus expectant management at early term in pregnancies with second trimester elevated human chorionic gonadotropin or alpha fetoprotein.
Elevated human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) have been linked to placental dysfunction and associated morbidities. We aimed to compare the induction of labor with expectant management at term in those pregnancies for the prevention of neonatal and maternal morbidities. ⋯ In pregnancies with elevated AFP and/or HCG, early term labor induction initiated a trend towards improvement in maternal outcome but increased the rate of mild neonatal morbidity. The statistical insignificance of the large effect on the maternal outcome might reflect the lack of statistical power. Further research is needed to address this limitation.