Publication:

Evaluation of cardiotocographic and cord blood changes in induced labor with dinoprostone and misoprostol

Background To evaluate the cardiotocographic abnormalities associated with induction of labour with misoprostol and dinoprostone and comparing the perinatal outcome in terms of cord blood analysis.

Methods This study was conducted in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of G.S.V.M. Medical College, Kanpur with 80 patients. Cases were randomly divided into two groups with n=40. In first group 50 µgm misoprostol per vaginally and in second group 0.5 mg of dinoprostone gel was used for induction. Cardiotocography of all the study candidates was performed and following delivery cord blood gas analysis was done.

Results It was found that 45% percent of women treated with misoprostol demonstrated an abnormal tracing event within the initial 24 hours of induction, compared with 17.5% in the dinoprostone gel. Both hypertonus and tachysystole events were significantly more frequent in women treated with misoprostol group and this difference is statistically significant (p=0.0099). We also found that these events occurred earlier after initial misoprostol dosing (6.98 ± 4.14hr), compared with the dinoprostone gel (9.19 ± 6.29 hr).

Conclusions Cardiotocographic abnormalities are more frequent after misoprostol administration compared with the dinoprostone gel. Neonatal outcome in terms of NICU admission and Umbilical artery cord blood changes are apparently similar in both.