Introduction: Induction of labor is sometimes indicated, but should be carried out extremely carefully to avoid possible complications. Besides traditional pharmacological and mechanical methods of labor induction, numerous alternative (natural) methods have been prospsed. Purpose: The aim of this thesis was to investigate, which are the most commonly used natural methods for labor induction and to assess their effectiveness as well as safety. Methods: Descriptive method of work was used. The scientific literature based of natural methods of labor induction was reviewed. Literature was searched in the COBISS, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google scholar and Dikul databases. We used articles, which met our criteria (terms labor induction«, »natural methods« in »alternative methods«). Results: In the thesis, 44 studies on the topic of natural induction methods were reviewed. We included studies focusing on the following methods: sexual intercourse, breast massage and nipple stimulation, black and blue cohosh, raspberry leaves, castor oil and Oenothera flower oil, dates, acupressure and acupuncture. The results are conflicting in terms of efficacy, but there are data suggesting safety of the following methods: sexual intercourse during an uncomplicated pregnancy, raspberry leaves, Oenothera flower oil and castor oil, dates, acupuncture and acupressure. Discussion and conclusion: Safety has been well established for most natural methods of labor induction, while data on their efficacy are still mainly inconclusive. We believe that natural methods of labor induction can be safely used in combination with traditional methods.
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