NOW CLOSED: Are you pregnant now, or have given birth in the last 5 years? Complete an academic research study - £250 of Amazon vouchers to be won.

[OliviaMumsnet]

We've been asked for some help with an academic research study by a doctor at Nottingham City Hospital, Dr Kate Walker.

The survey is open to everyone who is either pregnant now or who has given birth in the last 5 years.

Here's what Kate has to say about her research:
"I am doing research to find out how best to look after the pregnancies of women aged over 35. Specifically we are looking at whether doctors should induce labour slightly early for such women to try and prevent stillbirth.

"Some doctors think early induction for women over 35 may prevent stillbirth however there are some risks associated with induction. Experts used to believe that induction generally increased Caesareans. More recent research has suggested that for certain conditions modern methods of induction slightly reduce the need for Caesareans.

"At Nottingham City Hospital we are considering a clinical trial with women aged 35+. This would involve one group being induced early (39 weeks) and one group not. However we need to gauge how recent mothers and mothers to be would feel about participating in a clinical trial like this. So we're asking Mumsnetters to complete our short survey.

We're very aware that some of you may have experienced stillbirth, early induction or given birth at aged 35+ - we don't want to cause any upset with this survey - if you'd like to get in touch with me directly my email address is at the end of the survey.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and for any input you can give.

Best wishes
Dr Kate Walker"

As a token of thanks everyone who completes Kate's survey will be entered into a prize draw to win £250 of vouchers for Amazon. We're asking that you just enter your MN Nickname at the end - Kate will pick one winner at random and MNHQ will be in touch directly with you - that way Kate will not have your email address - she wants the survey to be
completely anonymous and all data is confidential
Many thanks
MNHQ

Done

Done, including essay in comment box!

Done, also felt like I added small essay in comment box.

Generally feel like less medicalised birth is more desirable and am always surprised at women who don't share this view!

I think this is an appalling suggestion. If there is a risk to foetuses of 'older' mother, they need to investigate what is actually causing the risk - my guess is that there will be multiple causes.

A blanket rule of induction will be bad for the majority of babies, and therefore bad for their mothers as it will necessitate more intervention for a significant proportion of the women, and prejudice their ability to go with the flow of normal labour (which may then lead to the cascade of intervention...).

Inductions are all well and good when necessary, but if you don't even know why you're inducing? Appalling.

Done.

done. am slightly aghast that a blanket rule like this is being considered, it feels so 'production line'

done

done.

I had so many thoughts going around my head mostly centred around "oh fuck off" (to the idea not the OP), so as SpeedyGonzalez put my exact thoughts much more eloquently and without the swearing I am just going to copy and paste

"I think this is an appalling suggestion. If there is a risk to foetuses of 'older' mother, they need to investigate what is actually causing the risk - my guess is that there will be multiple causes.

A blanket rule of induction will be bad for the majority of babies, and therefore bad for their mothers as it will necessitate more intervention for a significant proportion of the women, and prejudice their ability to go with the flow of normal labour (which may then lead to the cascade of intervention...).

Inductions are all well and good when necessary, but if you don't even know why you're inducing? Appalling."

"Your Consultant Obstetrician offers you induction of labour at 39 weeks on account of your age alone. You have had a healthy pregnancy and this is the only reason for induction. The idea would be to possibly reduce the risk of the baby dying towards the end of the pregnancy. No one knows whether it would alter your need for Caesarean delivery."

Does he offer you ANY other alternatives? Monitoring for instance to check if a perfectly healthy baby just isn't ready for the real world yet?

Done. Can't see the need for further medicalising the birth process purely on the age of the mother. Unless they produce some serious statistics that show large increase in risk to the foetus going to or over term in older women, it seems daft. I was 40 when I had DS and went to T+14 before induction - DS was "cooked" to perfection. He wouldn't have been if he'd been pulled out 3w early.

Done. No way would I agree to an inducement and all the risks that entails, unless it was medically necessary not based on my age.

I find the notion of induction at 39 weeks, to see what happens a bit bizarre

there are so many factors in induction that are subjective

will the women be 'allowed' to move, to remain mobile, or stay on the bed with a monitor on , not moving, which everyone knows potentially has a very negative impact on labour?

i would be loathe to be induced , especially with a poor bishops' score for a study as the odds of it ending in c.section and all the inherent issues is too big a risk for me.

The problem is will women who agree to this trial TRULY understand the risks of what they are agreeing to? (The fact they agree to induction for no other reason than age says to me that they don't). How many mothers (especially first-timers) DONT understand all the risks and the best way to labour if possible until much later on in their pregnancy.

Done. I am pretty horrified by this. Even though no one will be forcing women towards early induction, the suggestion to over 35s that they have an increased risk of stillbirth when they are pg and hormonal will IMO damage those who are expected to labour naturally - and will distort the trial anyway.

I had one ds at 34 and one at 38 - both at close to 40 weeks. The second labour was by far the easier and quicker of the two - and I could have missed out on it if I had been induced at 39 weeks. DS2 came out covered in vernix at over 40 weeks, so I doubt he would have been ready to come out at 39 weeks.

done

Done. I don't think this is a workable proposition, as others have said. The only reason I would ever agree to participate in such a study would be if I had my own reasons for thinking that early induction was right and necessary for me and my baby, and surely if that was the case I'd be reluctant to be allocated to the other group?

I do like Amazon vouchers though

Hang on a minute - wasn't there some other research a few months back that suggested that being born even a week early (so 39 weeks) increased the likelihood of the child having learning difficulties?

Yes, I wholeheartedly support Amazon vouchers for pregnant women over 35...

done - not sure how I feel about it all though

How could a hospital ethics committee agree to such research? Inducing also carries risks.

I was pregnant with DS at 22 and offered an induction at 40+7, I was so uncomfortable I was considering digging him out with a spoon at the time so agreed!

I know much more about inductions, because of Mumsnet, and would probably not have agreed so readily if I had known what I know now. I think a blanket policy is a bad idea and each case should be dealt with on an individual basis.

Any link cuppa. That is intersting

Done.

Highlights the interestng problem faced though.

We want answers, stats and research to guide us to the best choices. However the research required don't look to tempting to me!

Tricky.