Assessment of Maternal and Fetal Outcomes According to Induction Methods Following Negative Oxytocin Challenge Test

Purpose: To evaluate maternal and perinatal outcomes in high-risk patients who had negative OCTs and to investigate the effects of methods of induction on the development of fetal distress. Methods: The hospital records of patients were reviewed retrospectively. Clinical data were obtained from medical records. Results: OCT was performed in 551 patients and was negative in 447 patients. Among patients with a negative OCT, labor induction was preferred in 427 (95.5%) patients. When fetal distress development was assessed according to the induction method used following a negative OCT, and fetal distress developed in 9.1% of 427 patients who underwent labor induction. Conclusion: When outcomes were considered in pregnant women with a negative OCT, it was observed that there were no fetal deaths and a limited number of newborns with low Apgar scores. Further randomized studies are needed to draw definitive conclusions.

Effect of Frequent Vaginal Saline Lavage On Maternal Infection Prevention During Mechanical Labor Induction

Background: Induction of labor is performed in up to 25% of pregnancies. The major concern in mechanical labor induction is that it increases the chance of infection when a foreign device is introduced into the cervix. The aim of the study is to test the effectiveness of a vagina saline lavage procedure on infection prevention during labor induction by transcervical double balloon catheter.Methods: Enrolled pregnant women were randomly divided into two groups. The control group received standard aseptic vaginal cleansing with 5% betadine solution. In addition to the standard aseptic preparation, the study group received vaginal lavage with 0.9% saline solution before the device placement and once every 4 hours after the insertion. Results: There was no statistical difference in the demographic characteristics or the indications for induction between the two groups (P > 0.1). The final delivery modes and complication rates were not significantly different (P > 0.05) between the two groups, except for the maternal infection rate (P < 0.05). The rate of infection dropped from 10.6% to 2.9% when the frequent vaginal lavage procedure was performed. Conclusions: Excessive vaginal aseptic preparation by saline solution is easy to apply, safe and effective in reducing maternal infection during mechanical labor induction.