[Labor induction. Quality assurance of a method]

Abstract

This paper presents a prospective study of all inductions of labour at a Norwegian obstetric department during 1992. The study was performed to assure the quality of the induction procedure. 323 labours (7.5%) out of a total of 4,289 deliveries were induced. Hypertensive disorders were the most common indication for induction. The progress and outcome of the induced labours in women without prelabour rupture of membranes have been compared with equivalent data on spontaneous deliveries. The babies of 39 (12.6%) of 310 women in the induction group were delivered by Caesarean section, as against 13 (4.2%) in the spontaneous delivery group. Duration of labour is longest, and rate of operative deliveries is highest (48%), in nulliparous women with unripe cervix. The progress and outcome of labour are only slightly affected by the indication for induction and the gestational age.