Evaluation of the effect of castor oil on initiating labor in term pregnancy

To determine the effect of castor oil on initiating labor in term pregnant women. We conducted this randomized control clinical trial on 47 pregnant women from August 2003 to March 2004 in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran. There was a significant increase in labor initiation ratio in the castor oil group compared with the control group [54.2% compared with 4.3%, p<0.001]. Also, the mean bishop score in the castor oil group increased from 2.50 +/- 1.29 to 6.79 +/- 3.20 [p<0.001]. The probability of labor initiation increases during the first 24 hours after using castor oil, however, further studies are recommended to improve its efficacy and safety