Outpatient Induction of Labor - Are Balloon Catheters an Appropriate Method?

Outpatient Induction of Labor - Are Balloon Catheters an Appropriate Method? Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 2021 Jan;81(1):70-80 Authors: Rath W, Stelzl P, Kehl S Abstract As the number of labor inductions in high-income countries has steadily risen, hospital costs and the additional burden on obstetric staff have also increased. Outpatient induction of labor is therefore becoming increasingly important. It has been estimated that 20 - 50% of all pregnant women requiring induction would be eligible for outpatient induction. The use of balloon catheters in patients with an unripe cervix has been shown to be an effective and safe method of cervical priming. Balloon catheters are as effective as the vaginal administration of prostaglandin E 2 or oral misoprostol. The advantage of using a balloon catheter is that it avoids uterine hyperstimulation and monitoring is less expensive. This makes balloon catheters a suitable option for outpatient cervical ripening. Admittedly, intravenous administration of oxytocin to induce or augment labor is required in approximately 75% of cases. Balloon catheters are not associated with a higher risk of maternal and neonatal infection compared to vaginal PGE 2 . Low-risk pregnancies (e.g., post-term pregnancies, gestational diabetes) are suitable for outpatient cervical ripening with a balloon catheter. The data for high-risk pregnancies are still insufficient. The following conditions are recommended wh...
Source: Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde - Category: OBGYN Tags: Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd Source Type: research