[An index for induction of labour. A scheme based on Parzen's method (author's transl)]

It would seem to be necessary to make a score for pre-induction which would give the highest success rate and which would be available to all members of the obstetrical team, since there has been such a constant increase in the number of indications for induction of labour. Following a study based on 255 inductions the authors have been able to work out a system for calculating the prognosis according to the different classical scores used up till now and they have, after treating the information available, been able to work out a score according to the analytical method of Parzen which allows discrimination. In 95 per cent of cases one can predict the successful outcome by considering just 6 parameters: consistency of the cervix, the height of the presenting part, the length of the cervix, the height of the uterine fundus, and an estimation of the fetal weight and the state of the membranes. A complete list of the group that failed is furnished by the computer which could coordinate each new case in two minutes. As the study concerned itself with only 18 variables, a new study should be carried out on 1,000 case histories which would include some extra parameters such as: tocolytics used in pregnancy, cerclage (Shirodkar's stitch), the psychological state of the mother...which might shift the relative importance of the six variable that have been kept on perhaps even show how a percentage could be worked out of the cases classified using a smaller number of parameters to be taken into account.