Induction of labor with vaginal prostaglandin E2 pessaries.

Prostaglandin E2 vaginal pessaries (3 mg) were compared with conventional amniotomy and oxytocin infusion as a method of induction of labor in 160 patients in the study group compared with 160 in the control group. Each group consisted of 100 primigravidae and 60 multigravidae. When the features of labor, delivery and fetal status were analyzed for the study and the control groups, the patients who received PGE2 pessaries had a better outcome. The difference was more significant for those patients with a low Bishop score. Compared with controls, the PGE2-treated patients had fewer cesarean sections either for failed induction or fetal distress (P less than 0.01); the incidence of infants with low Apgar score was significantly less (P less than 0.05) and there were fewer postpartum haemorrhages (P less than 0.01).