This just in, from the "Ya think?" department

MSNBC reported yesterday that, and this is the directly-quoted headline: "Induced labor may boost rate of early births".

In the new study, researchers used U.S. government vital statistics to show that labor inductions increased from 14 percent of full-term singleton births in 1992, to 27 percent in 2003.

Moreover, those same years saw an increase in the proportion of births at the earlier end of full-term pregnancy. In 2003, 30 percent of births occurred during the 37th or 38th week, versus 19 percent in 1992. And just over 60 percent of full-term births occurred before the 40th week — up from 42 percent in 1992.

The findings suggest that the rising rate of induced labor is a "likely cause" of the earlier births, the researchers report in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

That's what they "suggest", huh? Worthy points are then made regarding the increased risks for babies born in the earliest window of what is considered 'term', but really, guys.

Next up: "Rising cesarean rates seem to be connected to the the increasing number of babies born by cesarean, study shows". And from our weather center, "Blueness of sky leads many to believe sky is blue."