Cervical ripening with foley balloon plus fixed versus incremental low-dose oxytocin: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate cervical ripening with foley balloon combined with a fixed vs. incremental low-dose oxytocin infusion.

METHODS

Women presenting for term labor induction were randomized to fixed low-dose or standard incremental low-dose oxytocin infusion following foley balloon placement. The primary outcome was time from foley balloon placement to delivery.

RESULTS

Among 116 subjects, there was no difference in median time to delivery among subjects receiving fixed low-dose vs. standard incremental low-dose oxytocin during induction of labor with a foley balloon (23.7 vs. 19.2 hours). There were no differences between the two groups in median time to foley bulb extrusion, active labor and second stage of labor or incidence of uterine tachysystole, fetal heart rate abnormalities, mode of delivery or maternal hemorrhage.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no difference in median time to delivery in women undergoing cervical ripening with a foley balloon combined with a fixed low-dose or standard incremental low-dose oxytocin.