SynthesisBMC pregnancy and childbirth2011
Methods of induction of labour: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 61 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Efficacy and Safety of Sublingual Versus Vaginal Misoprostol for Induction of Labor for Primigravida at 41 or More Weeks of Pregnancy: A Randomized Clinical Trial
The Impact of a Customized Informative Video Prior to Induction of Labor on Anxiety Relieve - a Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
61 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 249 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy and safety of misoprostol versus oxytocin for labor induction in women with prelabor rupture of membranes: a meta-analysis.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Pooled it
- Isosorbide Mononitrate Versus Dinoprostone for Cervical Ripening During Labor Induction: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) · 2023Pooled it
- Quality appraisal of systematic reviews on methods of labour induction: a systematic review.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2021Pooled it
- Acupuncture or acupressure for induction of labour.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Labour induction with prostaglandins: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2015Pooled it
- Antibiotics prior to amniotomy for reducing infectious morbidity in mother and infant.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2014Pooled it
- Vaginal prostaglandin (PGE2 and PGF2a) for induction of labour at term.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2014Pooled it
- A randomized comparative study of serial membrane sweeping at term for vaginal birth after caesarean section in two tertiary hospitals in Delta State.The Pan African medical journal · 2024Trial
- Oxytocin Versus Oral Misoprostol for Induction of Labor in Pregnant Women with Term Prelabor Rupture of Membranes: a Randomized Clinical Trial.Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) · 2023Trial
- Labor induction with randomized comparison of cervical, oral and intravaginal misoprostol.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2021Trial
- Effects of phloroglucinol on the active phase of labour (EPAL trial): a single blinded randomised controlled trial in a tertiary hospital in sub-Sahara Africa.The Pan African medical journal · 2018Trial
- Recombinant human relaxin versus placebo for cervical ripening: a double-blind randomised trial in pregnant women scheduled for induction of labour.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2016Trial
- Efficacy of membrane sweeping at term pregnancy to promote spontaneous labor: A comparative study.Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2026Article
- Short-term maternal outcomes after intraoperative administration of prophylactic oxytocin during cesarean sections: a retrospective cohort study with a comparison of different administration protocols.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2026Article
- Intravenous Prostaglandin F2alpha for the Induction of Labor at a Japanese Perinatal Center.Cureus · 2026Article
- Nulliparous Women's Experience in the Immediate Postpartum Period After Cervical Ripening According to the Method: A Prospective Observational Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Predictive value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio for epidural labor analgesia-associated intrapartum fever: a retrospective single-center study.BMC anesthesiology · 2025Article
- Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Mechanical and Pharmaceutical Methods of Labor Induction in Pregnant Women in Iran.Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran · 2025Article
- Review
- The hormonal control of parturition.Physiological reviews · 2024Review
1 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRates of labour induction are increasing. We conducted this systematic review to assess the evidence supporting use of each method of labour induction.
methodsWe listed methods of labour induction then reviewed the evidence supporting each. We searched MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library between 1980 and November 2010 using multiple terms and combinations, including labor, induced/or induction of labor, prostaglandin or prostaglandins, misoprostol, Cytotec, 16,16,-dimethylprostaglandin E2 or E2, dinoprostone; Prepidil, Cervidil, Dinoprost, Carboprost or hemabate; prostin, oxytocin, misoprostol, membrane sweeping or membrane stripping, amniotomy, balloon catheter or Foley catheter, hygroscopic dilators, laminaria, dilapan, saline injection, nipple stimulation, intercourse, acupuncture, castor oil, herbs. We performed a best evidence review of the literature supporting each method. We identified 2048 abstracts and reviewed 283 full text articles. We preferentially included high quality systematic reviews or large randomised trials. Where no such studies existed, we included the best evidence available from smaller randomised or quasi-randomised trials.
resultsWe included 46 full text articles. We assigned a quality rating to each included article and a strength of evidence rating to each body of literature. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and vaginal misoprostol were more effective than oxytocin in bringing about vaginal delivery within 24 hours but were associated with more uterine hyperstimulation. Mechanical methods reduced uterine hyperstimulation compared with PGE2 and misoprostol, but increased maternal and neonatal infectious morbidity compared with other methods. Membrane sweeping reduced post-term gestations. Most included studies were too small to evaluate risk for rare adverse outcomes.
conclusionsResearch is needed to determine benefits and harms of many induction methods.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.