ABSTRACT
To evaluate the use of oral misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction in term pregnancy with intact and ruptured membranes, we selected two hundred primigravidae at term admitted to El Shatby maternity hospital fulfilling our selection criteria. All subjects were randomly assigned to receive either 100ug misoprostol orally that was repeated every 4 hours till adequate contraction pattern occured or to receive 2 mIU/minute of oxytocin that was increased at 30 minutes interval till adequate contraction pattern was achieved. The mean induction-delivery time was significantly shorter in the misoprostol group, [t=12.36, 4.69 and 6.067 for all women, women with intact membranes and women with premature rupture of membranes respectively]. The percentage of normal vaginal delivery was significantly higher in the misoprostol group, [X2 =10.6, 2.915 and 10.0 respectively]. The duration of the 3rd stage was significantly shorter for the misoprostol group, [t = 4.26, 2.019 and 0.928 respectively]. There was no significant difference between the two studied groups as regards abnormal fetal heart rate, the occurrence of hypertonus, the percentage of retained placenta and the occurrence of post-partum hemorrhage. Apgar score and neonatal admition to neonatal intensive care unit were not significantly different between the two studied groups. Oral misoprostol is superior over oxytocin in labor acceleration in both women with intact or rupture membranes