[Intracervical prostaglandin E2 as pre-inducer of labor in patients with preterm fetal death]

A comparative study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of a single dose of 0.5 mg of PGE2 on the uterine cervix and the subsequent progress of labor induction, from february 1992 to december 1993 in The Instituto Nacional de Perinatología. The obstetric results obtained from women with antepartum fetal death, were divided in two groups: group A women between 21 to 27 weeks gestation, group B from 28-36 weeks gestation, and a control group without PGE2 aplication. Dinoprostone 0.5 mg in a new gel form given intracervically in a single dose. In Group A induction-to-delivery interval were about 12 h compared with the control group about 24 h, this difference is statistically significant (P < 0.001). In Group B induction-to-delivery interval were about 9 h, and a control group about 16.5 h, this difference is satistically significant (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the PGE2 (dinoprostone 0.5 mg) in gel, is a drug with high effectiveness when used for labor preinduction as applied in this study.