A study of intravaginal misoprostol for induction of labor in toxemia of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy and complications of intravaginal misoprostol for induction of labor in patients with and without toxemia of pregnancy.

METHODS

Forty-two patients with toxemia of pregnancy (group 1) and 59 women at term without toxemia (group 2) with Bishop scores of < or = 6 were treated with 50 microg intravaginal misoprostol given four times at 4-h intervals. Labor and neonatal outcomes, and any complications, were recorded. Mann-Whitney U-, Student's t- and chi(2)-tests were used for statistical analyses. P < or = 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

The rates of vaginal delivery were 73.8% and 84.6%, oxytocin augmentation were 4.8% and 5.1% and the mean insertion to delivery times were 12.5 and 13.8 h in group 1 and 2, respectively, with no significant differences between the groups. Neonatal outcomes, rates of uterine contraction abnormalities and gastrointestinal symptoms were similar in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Intravaginal misoprostol is an equally effective and safe method of induction of labor in patients with toxemia of pregnancy and in normal pregnant women.