ABSTRACT
Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of induction of labour with misoprostol on the active phase of labour.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed involving patients. A cohort of patients induced with misoprostol was compared to time matched control group of women who had spontaneous labour over a six month period at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). Extracted data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.
Results: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, postdates, and diabetes were the most common indications for induction of labour, accounting cumulatively for 70% of the cases. Induction with misoprostol was associated with a significantly increased duration of the latent phase of labour. The rate of cervical dilatation was increased in the active phase (Mean: 2.09 vs 1.42cm/hr, p=0.059); and the duration of the active phase of labour was shorter (Mean: 5.25 vs 7.14hours, p=0.096) for women induced with misoprostol compared to controls. The duration of the second stage of labour in both groups of subjects was considerably shorter than previously described in the literature.
Conclusion: While misoprostol may be associated with an increase in the rate of cervical dilatation during active labour this was not conclusively proven by our study. Further research is needed in our population.
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