Comparison of time for onset of labour and maternal satisfaction following castor oil administration, membrane sweeping or no intervention in postdate pregnancy in Abakaliki, South-East Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Induction of labour is saddled with a lot of uncertainties; its failure is a challenge to the parturient and usually results in abdominal delivery. Castor oil and membrane sweeping are among the modalities used for cervical ripening in postdatism. Evaluating both methods with respect to time for onset of labour and maternal satisfaction will be essential to recommend the better option for postdatism management. Objectives: To compare the time for onset of labour and maternal satisfaction following castor oil administration, membrane sweeping or no intervention in postdate pregnancy in Abakaliki, South-East Nigeria. Study Design: The study design was an open labelled randomized controlled trial comparing the time for onset of labour and maternal satisfaction following the use of castor oil, membrane sweeping and no intervention in the management of postdatism. Methodology: A total of 120 postdated pregnant women who satisfied the inclusion criteria were recruited for the study by systematic sampling. They were grouped as follows; 40 parturient who received castor oil, 40 parturient who had membrane sweeping and 40 parturient who received no intervention. They were matched for gestational age and social status. The results were analysed using SPSS version 26 with appropriate tables and figures generated. Results: The membrane sweeping group had early onset of labour compared to other groups (p = 0.025). Formal induction of labour was more in the group with no intervention compared to other groups (p = 0.07). The mean duration of active phase of labour was not statistically significant (p = 0.389). Women that had membrane sweeping were the most satisfied (p = 0.000). Conclusion: Membrane sweeping of pregnant women with postdatism results in faster onset of labour and better maternal satisfaction when compared with castor oil administration or no intervention. Recommendations: More studies should be conducted to compare membrane sweeping, castor oil and other methods of cervical ripening in the management of postdated pregnancies and as well determine the possible determinants of maternal satisfaction among the various methods.