The effects of intramuscular dexamethasone on cervical ripening and induction of labor

Abstract

Introduction: One of the problems in midwifery is induction of cases in which it is necessary to terminate pregnancy. Thus the methods of cervical ripening and labor induction have always been sought. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of intramuscular dexamethasone on cervical ripening and induction of labor. Materials and Methods: This study was a single-blind, randomized clinical trial on 100 eligible nulliparous women in their 42 to 40 weeks of gestation in 2009 who were admitted to Amir Hospital in Ahvaz. For the experiment group 8 mg dexamethasone was administered 12 h before induction. The controls were given 2 cc of normal saline at the same intervals. Data were analyzed using Chi-square and t-tests and a p value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, demographic characteristics, initial Bishop score, first and fifth minute Apgar score, and meconium difference. The mean time interval between the induction and the onset of active phase in the experiment group was 3.1 ± 0.68 hours and in the control group it was 4.2 ±1.3 hours. There was a significant difference between the groups (P=0.001). Conclusion: Intramuscular dexamethasone improved Bishop score, through reducing the time duration from the induction to the onset of labor phase.

Keywords

• Induced Labor
• Cervical Ripening
• Dexamethasone