Risk factors for secondary arrest of labor among women > 41 weeks' gestation with an unfavorable cervix undergoing membrane sweeping for cervical ripening

Objective: To identify the risk factor(s) for secondary arrest of labor amo ng women with an unfavorable cervix at > 41 weeks' gestation. Methods: Pros pectively all gravid women with a Bishop score of less than or equal to 4 a nd no contraindication to a vaginal delivery were candidates for this study . Univariate analysis followed by logistic regression modeling were used to identify variables with a significant association. Results: Over a 9-month period, 115 women entered into the study. In univariate analysis, variable s with a significant association with cesarean delivery: (1) non-Caucasian race (P = 0.007), Bishop score < 7 at hospitalization; P = 0.001, and reaso n for admission (P = 0.017). Logistic regression analysis yielded OR 4.1 (1 .6, 15) non-Caucasian race and 9.5 (3.2, 30.8) Bishop <7 on admission. Conc lusion: Pregnancies > 41 weeks with an unfavorable cenix, non-Caucasian rac e and a failure to achieve a Bishop score of greater than or equal to 7 pri or to hospitalization were significant risk factors for abdominal delivery. (C) 1999 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.