Relationship of admissions for false labor to perinatal outcome

While false labor is a common clinical problem, little information exists for correlating hospital visits (for false labor) with the subsequent labor course or perinatal outcome. We evaluated the obstetric and perinatal outcomes in 112 consecutive patients with one or more hospital visits for false labor and compared them with those in matched controls. The only statistically significant difference was the incidence of oxytocin induction following premature rupture of the membranes in the false-labor group (16 vs. 6, chi 2 = 5.05, P less than .05). This study suggests that a previous false-labor admission does not increase the risk of a labor abnormality or suboptimum perinatal outcome.