Induction of labour with oral prostaglandin E2.

Oral prostaglandin E2 was used for inducing labour in 37 patients without initial rupture of membranes. Two dosage regimens were used: in the one 0.5 mg of oral PGE2 was given hourly, and in the other the dose of oral PGE2 was doubled hourly, starting with a dose of 0,5 mg and increasing to a maximum single dose of 2,0 mg. The incremental dosage regimen was found to be more successful in inducing labour than the constant dosage regimen. The success rate was 94,95%. Side-effects were found to occur rarely and to be dose-related. Fetal distress did not occur in this study.