Maternal and prenatal factors influencing the outcome of prostaglandin E2 induced labour

In this retrospective cohort study involving 393 singleton pregnancies, we evaluated the maternal and prenatal factors influencing the use of and the outcome of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) induced labours. Only a nulliparous pregnancy was shown to be a significant predictor of the use of more than one dose of PGE2 (odds ratio, OR 2.73, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.61–4.63). When the type of delivery was assessed, nulliparous status was significantly associated with a decreased chance of vaginal delivery (OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.045–0.32). Other variables that positively influence the chance of vaginal delivery include a mother’s age being under 30 years (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.51–4.58) and a single dose of PGE2 (OR 2.86, 95% CI 1.21–6.79). Gestational age, fetal weight and maternal BMI have much less impact on PGE2 use and chance of successful vaginal delivery than parity.