Membrane sweeping versus dinoprostone vaginal insert in the management of pregnancies beyond 41 weeks with an unfavorable cervix.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the best method of cervical ripening to prevent postdate inductions in women with an unfavorable cervix at 41 weeks' gestation.

STUDY DESIGN: Women presenting at 41 weeks' gestation with a Bishop score of < or = 4 received daily dinoprostone (Cervidil) vaginal inserts (group I) or daily membrane sweeping (group II).

RESULTS: One-hundred and eighty-two women were prospectively randomized with 91 women in each arm. The women in group II, membrane sweeping, had Bishop scores significantly greater on admission for delivery (p < 0.001), had less time elapsed from admission to delivery (p = 0.018), and had fewer labor inductions at 42 weeks (p = 0.04) than the women in group I, the dinoprostone group. In addition, a greater number of women in group II were admitted in spontaneous labor (p = 0.006) than in group I. Total antenatal costs for the membrane sweeping group was $15,120 versus $59,540 for the dinoprostone group.

CONCLUSION: Daily membrane sweeping was more effective than dinoprostone administration with fewer postdate inductions at one-fourth the cost.