Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes After Induction of Labor in Post-dated Pregnancy at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the feto-maternal outcomes following labor induction in postdated pregnancies.

Methodology: This observational, prospective cohort study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at LRH, Peshawar, from September 10, 2020, to February 28, 2021. A total of 146 pregnant women with a gestational age of 41 weeks or more were enrolled in the study. All patients received 3 mg of dinoprostone tablets administered into the posterior vaginal fornix. Cesarean sections were performed in cases of fetal distress or prolonged labor. Fetomaternal outcomes were stratified by age, gestational age, and parity, and post-stratification chi-square tests were applied, with a significance level set at p ≤ 0.05

Results: The study included women with an age range of 18 to 40 years, with a mean age of 27.828±2.60 years. The mean gestational age was 41.637±0.75 weeks, and the mean parity was 1.068±1.22. The findings revealed that 28.8% of cases required a Cesarean section, 24% experienced prolonged labor, 13% had postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), 17.1% developed a fever, 30.8% experienced fetal distress, 15.1% had macrosomia, and 9.6% had low Apgar scores after labor induction in postdated pregnancies.

Conclusion: For women with uncomplicated postdated pregnancies and a favorable Bishop score, allowing spontaneous labor is a reasonable approach. However, those with an unfavorable Bishop score may benefit from labor induction.