Patterns of Births: Implications for the Incidence of Elective Induction

Abstract

This paper, using data for the State of Wisconsin on number of births by day of the week, presents indirect evidence for the widespread incidence of the practice of elective induction. It is found that substantially fewer births occur on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Controls for birth order, type of delivery, and time trend reinforce the possibility that elective inductions are responsible for the patterns found. Implications of the patterns found are discussed.