Vol. 6, Issue 1, Part A (2024)

Background: The artificial initiation of uterine contractions to achieve vaginal delivery offers an opportunity to safe guard the lives of mothers and their foetuses. Induction of labour is done for postdate pregnancy and medical conditions that complicate pregnancy. These medical conditions must not be contraindication to vaginal delivery.
Methodology: This was a two-year retrospective study of case records of 74 women who had induction of labour for various reasons at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Data was collated from folders retrieved from hospital records. Statistical analysis of results was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.
Results: A total of 74 women had induced labour within the 2 years study duration. Most common indications for induced labour were Post Date Pregnancy (25.68%), Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) (18.92%) and Intra Uterine Fetal Death (IUFD) (13.51. Misoprostol (94.59%) was the preferred cervical ripening agent, 61 (82.43%) had Misoprostol as most common labour inducer, 53 (71.62%) had vaginal delivery, 19 (25.68%) had Caesarean section. Maternal outcome showed that 72 (97.30%) had no postpartum complications, while only 1 woman had antepartum haemorrhage and primary postpartum haemorrhage each respectively.
Conclusion: Induction of labour has a high success rate. Maternal complications were minimal following induction of labour.