Research Article
Areefa SM Alkasseh
Abstract
Background: Misoprostol is a new promising agent for cervical ripening and induction of labor. The ideal dose; route and frequency of administration of misoprostol are still under investigation. Aims: To examine 50 μg of oral misoprostol for induction of labor for its different efficiency and safety on maternal& fetal outcomes. Methods: This was a case control study for sample size of 300 women 152 as group and 148 as control. The participants were chosen from the labor room at Al Shifa Hospital the largest hospital in Gaza Strip & the first governmental hospital which started to use oral misoprostol for labor induction beside the routine use of prostaglandin E2. The study was conducted between September 2018, and December 2018. All the group were assigned to receive misoprostol 50 μg orally every 6 h for a maximum of 4 doses. Results: The current study revealed that total h for the oral misoprostol induction group 20.5 h compared to 5.7 h in the control group. The Maternal complication in oral misoprostol was 12.5% versus 2.7% in the control group. Moreover, oral misoprostol group has a higher rate in birth canal injury & caesarean section 9.2%, 19.1% versus 2.0%, 0.7% respectively with control. The result revealed that, overall fetal complication was a higher rate in misoprostol group 14.5% versus 7.3% in control. Conclusion: it was found that misoprostol induction method still has a higher maternal & fetal complication which required more investigation before being recommended as an alternative method in labor induction.