[Termination of pregnancy and perinatal mortality (author's transl)].

Elective induction was practised in 1875 of 10 537 deliveries (17.8%). Duration of delivery was, if anything, shortened after elective induction, compared with spontaneous delivery. There was no evidence of soft-tissue dystocias after elective induction. The Apgar score was 8-10 in 95.7% of children born after elective induction. pH of umbilical-artery blood in 95.7% of children after elective induction was greater than or equal to 7.2. There was a striking increase in the incidence of occiput posterior position with elective induction (2.7% of cases). The incidence of operative vaginal delivery was as frequent after elective as after all other forms of delivery. The incidence of section was 4.7% after elective induction, 11.5% in the entire series, intra-uterine asphyxia being an indication in 1.7%, compared with 2.5% for the total group. The frequency of operations was inversely proportional to the cervical index. Perinatal mortality was 0.53 per thousand (one case) after elective induction, 10.15 per thousand in the total group, 5.9 per thousand in those with indication for early induction. Perinatal mortality decreased from 23.0 per thousand to 7.2 per thousand from 1967 to 1974.