Labor Induction with Intravaginal Misoprostol versus Spontaneous Labor: Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Reproductive Medicine

Background:

• Labor induction is a common obstetric procedure.
• Evaluating methods for safe and effective labor induction is crucial for maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare maternal and neonatal outcomes of labor induction using intravaginal misoprostol versus spontaneous labor.
• To assess the efficacy and safety of single-dose versus multiple-dose misoprostol for labor induction.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective evaluation of 213 pregnant women undergoing vaginal delivery.
• Classification into three groups: spontaneous labor (SL), single-dose misoprostol (SDM), and multiple-dose misoprostol (MDM).
• Comparison of delivery type, vaginal birth rate within 12 hours, intervention needs, labor duration, cesarean rates, and APGAR scores.

Main Results:

• Primiparous women in the SL group had higher vaginal birth rates within 12 hours (84.7%) compared to SDM (65.2%) and MDM (37%).
• Hospitalization time varied significantly among groups for both primiparous and multiparous women.
• No statistically significant differences in most outcomes were observed in multiparous women, except for hospitalization time.

Conclusions:

• Intravaginal misoprostol is a promising agent for labor induction.
• It demonstrates high delivery rates within 12 hours and no negative fetal outcomes.
• Its ease of storage and affordability make it a favorable option.