Oral or vaginal misoprostol for induction of labor

Objective: To compare vaginal versus oral misoprostol for induction of labor. Method: Induction of labor was carried out in 40 women near term in two equal and randomized groups (according to a computer generated table) using misoprostol. Group I received vaginal misoprostol (100 mu g) every 3 h while group II patients were given the same dose via the oral route. The dose was doubled if no response was detected under continuous cardiotocographic (CTG) tracings. Result: The vaginal route of administration induced a higher success rate in a shorter time interval using a lower dose but was associated with more abnormal FHR patterns and instances of uterine hyperstimulation. Conclusion: It is recommended to use the vaginal approach with cardiotocographic monitoring. (C) 1997 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.