Prolonged induction to delivery time in termination of pregnancy using 16, 16-dimethyl-PGE1-methyl ester (gemeprost) for fetuses with a neural tube defect or hydrocephalus.

A retrospective study is reported comparing the induction to delivery interval using gemeprost for termination of pregnancy, in the second trimester, in 3 groups of patients. It was observed that the mean induction to delivery interval was significantly longer in 75 pregnancies where there was a fetus with a neural tube defect and or hydrocephalus (31.7 hours) compared with 88 pregnancies with other fetal abnormalities (19.7 hours) and 84 pregnancies where there was an intrauterine death (11.3 hours). There was also an increase in the requirements for further intervention to obtain delivery in the group with a neural tube defect or hydrocephalus (n = 33) compared with where there was an intrauterine fetal death (n = 4) and other abnormality (n = 14). We believe these results should be considered when counselling patients who have requested termination of pregnancy for fetal abnormalities.