Data comparison between pharmacological induction of labour and spontaneous delivery. A single centre experience

To assess the differences in the maternal and fetal outcomes between pharmacological induced and sponta-neous labour in nulliparous women.

Observational cohort study carried out over a period of 2 years.

nulliparous sin-gleton pregnancies, with cephalic fetal presentation, elective labour induction with intra-vaginal prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) gel (Prepidil® 2 mg) at a gestational age of 41 weeks.

patients who entered labour spontaneously at a gestational age of ≥ 40 weeks. The main demographic maternal characteristics and intra- and postpartum data were extracted from computer records and obstetrics diaries and were used for the analysis.

One hundred and three patients with induction of labour and 97 with spontaneous labour were enrolled. Cesarean delivery was performed in 18 cases (17.5%), all in the induction group. There were no differences in newborn weights between the 2 groups while both the 1-minute and 5-minute Apgar scores were significantly higher in the spontaneous group (p = 0.014 and p = 0.0003, respectively). Women in the induction group had a significantly longer duration of I stage labour in comparison with spontaneous group (p < 0.0001).

Primiparous women whose labour was induced spent a longer time in labour than women who presented in spontaneous labour. Clinicians should keep in mind that a slow rate of dilation in a woman being induced may be normal. For this reason, an arrest diagnosis needs to be carefully considered.