Comparison of the Effect of Misoprostol and Double-Balloon Catheter in Preinduction of Cervical Ripening among Postterm Women

Labor induction despite unfavorable cervix leads to a prolonged phase. Several methods are provided for preparing the cervix before induction of labor to improve the probability of success labor. This study aimed to compare the effect of double-balloon catheter and misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction in postterm pregnancy with unfavorable cervix in Shahid Beheshti hospital, Isfahan, Iran, during 2015-16.
In a clinical trial study, 110 postterm women were randomly divided into two groups of 55. For labor induction in the first group, 100 µg misoprostol tablets and in the second group, double-balloon catheter were placed in the posterior cul-de-sac. Progress of labor was measured using Bishop score and compared between the two groups.
Findings: During the intervention, Bishop score improved from 1.69 ± 1.05 to 8.62 ± 1.52 in misoprostol group and from 1.78 ± 0.98 to 7.93 ± 1.96 in double-balloon catheter group. Mean difference of Bishop score in the first and second groups was 6.92 ± 1.74 and 6.15 ± 1.87, respectively, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.025).
Using double-balloon catheter is effective at least as misoprostol to induce labor in postterm pregnant women with unfavorable cervix. As misoprostol is associated with the risk of some side effects, using double-balloon catheter is more suitable for induction of labor.