Which is more harmful to the body, induced labor or natural birth?

In daily life, induced labor is a way for women to drain out the fetus when the fetus is abnormal or has a disease after pregnancy. Women who are more than 3-4 months pregnant need induced labor, and natural delivery means giving birth to the fetus. Generally speaking, the degree of harm to the body caused by induced labor and natural delivery is the same. After induced labor, blood stasis and waste will remain inside the uterus, which can easily harm health.

Which one is more harmful to the body, induced labor or natural birth?

The risks are the same. Because the gestational age of pregnant women is longer and the fetus is larger, various complications are prone to occur during and after induced labor. For example, induced labor can cause residual placenta and fetal membranes, which can cause bleeding; the fetus is already quite large during the second trimester, and the uterine contractions caused by the drugs are strong, which can easily damage the birth canal of the pregnant woman; if bleeding and aseptic operation are not strict, the pregnant woman is prone to infection. These situations greatly increase the risk of induced labor and cause great harm to the pregnant woman's physiology and psychology.

The hazards of induced labor are as follows:

1. Amniotic fluid embolism: During induced labor, the cervical canal gradually expands, the cervical opening widens, and some blood vessels open. Strong uterine contractions increase the pressure in the uterine cavity and rupture the fetal membrane, so that some or most of the amniotic fluid flows into the blood vessels.

2. Infection: During the process of induced labor or within 2 weeks of induced labor, if the mother has a fever, with the temperature reaching over 38°C and accompanied by chills, especially if the high fever persists for more than 24 hours after induced labor, it is considered a concurrent infection. When infection occurs, the patient may also have persistent lower abdominal pain, purulent or bloody vaginal discharge with a foul odor, and in severe cases, there may be a drop in blood pressure, a rapid and weak pulse, and the abdomen may refuse to be pressed and have tenderness and rebound pain.

3. Bleeding: If heavy bleeding occurs within a short period of time after mid-term abortion, the patient may go into shock and endanger his life.

4. Birth canal injury: During the induction of labor, due to strong uterine contractions, small cervical opening and poor elasticity, birth canal injuries such as posterior fornix, cervical opening and vaginal lacerations are often prone to occur.

5. Uterine rupture: The cause of uterine rupture is unclear fetal position or fetal malformation before induced labor, such as hydrocephalus, conjoined twins, etc., which hinders the descent of the fetus during delivery, but cannot be delivered from the vagina, eventually leading to uterine rupture. The rupture is mostly in the lower part of the uterus, which is the thinnest after expansion.

Disadvantages of natural childbirth:

1. Labor pain before childbirth, which is also the reason why many mothers choose cesarean section because of their fear;

2. Postpartum vaginal relaxation, uterine bladder prolapse and other sequelae;

3. Perineal injury or even infection, vulvar hematoma, etc.;

4. Postpartum bleeding may occur due to poor uterine contraction. If postpartum bleeding cannot be controlled, emergency cesarean section is required. In severe cases, the uterus needs to be removed, which may even endanger life.

5. Amniotic fluid embolism occurs without warning;

6. Harm to the fetus: When the fetus is in labor or the mother is exhausted and forceps or vacuum extraction are needed to assist delivery, it will cause the fetal head to swell. If the fetus is too heavy, it may cause shoulder dystocia, leading to clavicle fracture or brachial plexus injury in the newborn. Meconium is produced in the amniotic fluid, leading to meconium aspiration syndrome. The fetus has an accident in the uterus, such as the umbilical cord around the neck, tangling or prolapse.