The impact on labor induction of intracervically applied PGE2-gel, related to gestational age in patients with an unripe cervix.

In 54 patients with an unripe cervix in late third trimester, in which gestational age had been properly determined by repeated ultrasound scannings, labor was induced by intracervical application of 0.5 mg PGE2 in viscous gel. It was found that the outcome of the induced labor was not related to the gestational duration, but to the pre-inductive cervical score. Thus, the number of successful inductions was smaller and induction-delivery time longer, the lower the cervical score. Moreover, instrumental deliveries occurred most frequently in nulliparous women, with a low pre-inductive cervical score. Taking into consideration the difficulties of labor induction in the present type of patient, the overall proportion of instrumental deliveries (17%, including 7% cesarean sections) was low. No maternal or fetal side effects were observed. It is concluded that intracervical application a small dose of PGE2 in gel can be recommended for cervical priming and labor induction in pre- and post-term pregnancy.