The meaning of Bishop scores on labor induction in termed pregnancy

Objective To compare the efficiency of different Bishop scores using three different methods of labor induction and their related maternal and infant complications.Methods 413 pregnant women with term singleton vertex fetus pregnancies were randomly distributed into three groups ( Group A, Group B and Group C ) in which they showed the Bishop score of less than or equal to 4,5,or equal to or more than 6(6or7) respectively. Three methods were used in each group:50ug misoprostol was placed in the posterior vaginal fornix every 4 hours, Oxytocin at 5% was intravenously dripped or castor oil- diet was offered. Results In Group A and Group B, misoprostol improved the conditions aroused by low Bishop scores obviously(P0.01), raised the success rate of labor induction and that of parturition through vagina( P0.005) . In Group C no significant difference was found between misoprostol pattern and Oxytocin pattern( P0.05) . The effect of castor oil- diet was less than that of misoprostol and Oxytocin( P0.05) . The incidence of meconium in Oxytocin pattern was much more than in misoprostol pattern and castor oil- diet pattern(In Group A or B P0.005,In Group C P0.025). In Group A, the incidence of stained amniotic fluid and neonatal asphyxia in misoprostol pattern was much more than that in Oxytocin pattern( P0.005) and in castor oil- diet pattern( P0.025) .Conclusion Oxytocin will not be recommended to use when the Bishop score was less than or equal to 5. Misoprostol is an efficient agent for labor induction at low Bishop scores and it may ripen the cervix better than Castor oil- diet but the use of that and other agents at high Bishop scores all require care monitoring.