Rajalakshmi K

and 3 more

Objective: to compare the vaginal birth rate in women with previous one lower segment caesarean section when induced at 40 weeks compared to expectant management till 41 weeks. Design: A randomized controlled trial Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, JIPMER, a tertiary care teaching institution in the south of India. Population or Sample: Low-risk women with previous one single lower segment caesarean section with a singleton foetus in vertex presentation and eligible for a trial of labour (TOLAC) at 40 weeks gestation. Methods: Block randomization to two groups of thirty each. The induction group was induced at 40 weeks with low dose oxytocin infusion or ripening with a single application of a single balloon Foley catheter followed by oxytocin infusion 24 hours later. The expectant group was managed in the hospital with maternal and foetal surveillance and induced at 41 weeks if they had not delivered by then. Main Outcome Measures: Vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC). Results: The demography and pregnancy variables were comparable in the two groups. Twenty out of thirty women (66.67%) had a successful vaginal birth after caesarean section in the induction group compared to ten out of 30 (33.33%) in the expectant group. This difference was significant (RR 2.0, 95% CI: 1.13-3.52; P=0.016) Conclusions: Among low-risk women with previous one lower segment caesarean section willing and eligible for TOLAC, the successful VBAC rate is significantly higher among those induced at 40 weeks compared to those managed expectantly till 41 weeks.