01/27/2026
🤰 A new Cochrane review covering more than 100 randomized clinical trials and over 30,000 women has highlighted the safety and effectiveness of 13 commonly used methods for inducing labour.
The findings show that while most induction methods are similarly effective, their safety differs depending on the clinical context, particularly for women without a previous caesarean section.
Highlights from the review:
🔍 No method clearly outperformed low‑dose vaginal misoprostol on major outcomes such as achieving vaginal birth within 24 hours.
🔍 Oxytocin with amniotomy was the most successful at achieving birth within 24 hours.
🔍 Mechanical methods (e.g., balloon catheters) were among the safest, reducing risks like uterine hyperstimulation.
🔍Evidence for women with previous C‑sections remains limited, highlighting an urgent research gap.
🔍 No methods were deemed unsafe enough to discontinue.
Researchers emphasize that while effectiveness matters, safety and context should guide clinical decisions, especially in low‑resource settings where availability and cost are key factors.
Read more here: https://www.cochrane.org/about-us/news/most-common-methods-inducing-labour-similarly-effective
