View clinical trials related to Cervical Ripening.
Filter by:Induction of labor is a process of stimulating uterine contractions before the onset of labor, with a goal of achieving vaginal birth. The cervix (the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina) must dilate (open) in order to allow passage of the baby into the vagina and through the birth canal. A process called "cervical ripening" is often performed prior to labor induction to prepare the cervix for labor and therefore shorten the length of the labor. There are various pharmacologic and mechanical methods of cervical ripening that result in the physical softening and distensibility of the cervix. Mechanical dilation with a small balloon (i.e. a Foley catheter) placed in the cervix is one of the most commonly used, safe, inexpensive, and effective methods to achieve cervical ripening. In most hospitals, cervical ripening is performed in the hospitals; however, some hospitals allow women to undergo cervical ripening at home with a transcervical Foley catheter. The goal of this study is to compare the use of a Foley catheter for cervical ripening in the inpatient (in-hospital) and outpatient (at home) settings. We anticipate that outpatient use will lead to a shorter amount of time that a woman spends in the hospital, decreased cost, and good patient satisfaction.
According perinatal surveys, induction of labor is performed at more than 20% of pregnant women. According to a survey on the trigger practices in France, prostaglandins are widely used to initiate cervical ripening, usually by laying intravaginal dinoprostone (Propess®). The overall work-up rate due to the use of a single Propess® is 74.6% with 80% of vaginal deliveries. Currently, 25.4% of patients who was not put in work after 24 hours are triggered by oxytocin (Syntocinon®) or directly caesarean. The initial installation of intravaginal dinoprostone limits the use of oxytocin (Syntocinon®) or in lower doses. Using a second Propess® is carried out in several maternity hospitals, as reported by the survey on the cervical ripening practices in France. This second administration could be the solution to reduce the rate of caesarean in France which amounted to 20.8%.
This is a randomized study evaluating the impact of pre-hospital cervical ripening with a transcervical Foley balloon before labor induction in full-term pregnancies on the length of inpatient labor induction and maternal satisfaction with the labor induction process. The investigators hypothesize that women who receive pre-hospital cervical ripening will have a shorter duration of inpatient labor induction as compared to women without pre-hospital cervical ripening.