COMPARISON OF PROSTAGLANDIN E(2) VAGINAL TABLET WITH AMNIOTOMY AND INTRAVENOUS OXYTOCIN FOR INDUCTION OF LABOR

Prostaglandins have been increasingly used in obstetrical practice for cervical ripening and induction of labour. We set out to investigate the effectiveness of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) vaginal pessaries in indu cing labour in the Chinese population in Hong Kong. In the period Augu st, 1991 to August, 1992, we recruited 206 pregnant Chinese women who required induction of labour for various obstetrical indications into the trial. The study group had induction of labour by PGE2 vaginal pes saries and the control group underwent amniotomy plus oxytocin infusio n. These patients were alternately assigned either method of induction . They were further divided into primiparous and multiparous (parity 1 and 2 only) groups. Only 101 primiparas and 99 multiparas were availa ble in the final analysis of the trial. Various aspects of labour, del ivery, maternal and fetal outcome were compared. For primiparas, the t raditional combined induction was the preferred method. For multiparas , both induction methods were quite satisfactory and there was a trend toward lesser blood loss and pethidine requirement in the PGE2 users.