Care practice #4: no routine interventions

This updated edition of Care Practice Paper #4 presents the evidence for risks of routinely intervening in normal physiologic labor and birth. The authors review evidence related to the routine use of restrictions on oral intake, intravenous lines, continuous electronic fetal monitoring, artificial rupture of membranes, pharmacologic augmentation of labor, epidural analgesia, and episiotomy. Medical indications for each intervention are listed. Women are encouraged to avoid routine interventions in labor unless interventions are medically indicated.