ABSTRACT
PIP: At the obstetrics department of SSG Hospital in Baroda, India, data was compared on 79 pregnant women at or near term presenting with prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM) with data on 79 pregnant women presenting with intact membranes to determine whether induction of labor contributes to maternal complications. Women in the study group were observed for 1 hour for uterine contractions and then received oxytocin to induce labor. Women in the control group were observed for spontaneous progress of labor. Operative deliveries (e.g., forceps/vacuum) were more common in the study group than the control group (10-36.58% vs. 5.55-16.22%). The difference in assisted deliveries was significant for Bishop's score categories 4-6 and 6-8 (p 0.05). The lowest Bishop's score (4-6) yielded the highest assisted delivery rates (e.g., among primigravidae, 36.58% for study group and 16.22%). 78.78% of PROM women who crossed the alert line and all of those who crossed the action line required operative delivery compared to 50% and 81.82%, respectively, for the control group. PROM women experienced a longer latent phase of labor than did the control group (12.06 vs. 8.42 hours). The duration of other labor phases was comparable. The likelihood of spontaneous vaginal delivery was greater when the latent period lasted more than 12 hours. Based on these findings, induction should not be done on PROM women with no obvious infection or obstetric hazard. If induction is indicated, it should not be done until the Bishop's score reaches 6-8.^ieng
