Oral Misoprostol Compared with Oral Dinoprostone for Induction of Labor at Term Pregnancy

Kim, W S; Won, Y S; Bang, K H; Lee, J R; Im, M H; Lee, B I; Lee, W Y

Abstract

This study was to compare oral misoprostol with oral dinoprostone for induction of labor at term pregnancy. One hundred twenty patients at term were randomized to receive either 200microgram of misoprostol orally or 0.5 mg dinoprostone 1 tablets orally every 1 hour for a maximum of six tablets. Labor was induced with intravenous oxytocin infusion 8 hours after the onset of oral medication if the patients did not go into labor. We compared the frequency of oxytocin augmentation, oral administration-to-delivery interval, vaginal delivery within 12 hours & 24 hours, intrapartum complications, induction failure, mode of delivery, neonatal outcomes, and maternal complications between two groups. There was a less frequency of oxytocin augmentation in the misoprostol group than in the dinoprostone group but there was no significant difference. The interval from oral administration to vaginal delivery was shorter in the misoprostol group (543.6 276.7 minutes) than in the dinoprostone group (864.4 272)(p<0.05). The frequency of vaginal delivery within 12 hours was higher in the misoprostol group (78.3%) than in the dinoprostone group (20.0%)(p<0.05) and the frequency of vaginal delivery within 12 hours to 24 hours was lower in the misoprostol group (6.7%) than in the dinoprostone group (53.3%)(p<0.05). There was no significant difference in intrapartum complications, the frequency of induction failure, mode of delivery, neonatal outcomes, maternal complications. Orally administered misoprostol is an effective than dinoprostone and safe agent for induction of labor at term pregnancy, however further studies are required to delineate an optimal dosing regimen for oral misoprostol.