Identifying the effective components of a standardized labor induction protocol: secondary analysis of a randomized, controlled trial.
Rebecca Feldman HammRinad BeidasSindhu K SrinivasLisa D LevinePublished in: The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians (2021)
Within a standardized labor induction protocol, adherence to cervical exams every 1-2 h in active labor was associated with reduced cesarean rate, and adherence to cervical exams every 2-4 h in latent labor, as well as every 1-2 h in active labor is associated with reduced neonatal morbidity. Regular cervical examination during labor induction likely allows for intervention when cervical change is not made. This data warrants further investigation into the optimal frequency of cervical exams during labor induction. Furthermore, an understanding of which components of a complex, evidence-based labor induction protocol are most effective may be helpful for streamlining and education around this protocol as implementation occurs across diverse sites.