Misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction

In an ideal situation, all pregnancies will reach term and labor will start spontaneously. However, sometimes it is expedient to terminate a pregnancy either due to maternal or Fetal indications. The process of initiating labour involves priming(ripening) the unprepared cervix especially when the termination of pregnancy is done remote from term.This process is a major determinant of the success or otherwise of labour induction. Misoprostol a drug that was originally used as a cytoprotective agent against drug-induced gastric ulceration was found to be an effective cervical ripening agent and had been used widely for this purpose. However the appropriate dosing regimen of the drug for this indication has not been determined. This book discusses the comparison of the two commonly used dosing regimens of misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction. The findings and recommendations from this work will particularly be useful to Medical and Nursing practitioners and those involved in management of pregnancy, labor and delivery.