Takeaway
- Induction of labour for protracted latent phase speeds time to delivery and does not increase the risk for cesarean delivery (CD) or low Apgar scores.
Why this matters
- The National Institute of Clinical Excellence UK has redefined latent phase of labour to begin when there are painful contractions regardless of cervical dilation.
- There is no consensus on the definition of prolonged latent phase of labour.
- Patient preference may aid in deciding when to intervene.
Key results
- No differences in the CD rate between groups.
- The duration of labour was shorter with the induction of labour (17.1 vs 40.1 hours; P<.001).
- No differences in Apgar scores between groups.
Study design
- A randomised controlled trial in 1 hospital in Malaysia between 2015 and 2017.
- Patients were included if they had a prolonged latent phase of labour defined as an overnight hospitalisation of at least 8 hours, persistent contractions of at least 1 in 30 minutes, cervical dilation ≤3 cm, and intact membranes and they were singleton and nulliparous.
- Patients were randomly assigned to induction-of-labour group (n=149) vs expectant management group (n=159).
- The primary outcome was CD.
- Funding: University of Malaya research grant.
Limitations
- The study was not able to be masked.
References
References
