Transvaginal Sonographic Measurement of Cervical Length Versus Bishop Score in Labour Induction at Term for Prediction of Caesarean Delivery

Abstract

nduction of labour is a common obstetric practice which refers to the process where the uterine contractions are initiated by medical and surgical means before the onset of spontaneous labour. Induction of labour is indicated in about 20% of term pregnancies and is associated with a caesarean delivery rate of about 20%. Traditionally preinduction cervical assessment is based on the digital examination of the cervix and evaluation of several variants, originally proposed by Bishop. The advantage of the Bishop score is that it can evaluate parameters such as consistency or station that may influence the outcome. A low Bishop score prior to labour induction has been associated with failure of induction, prolonged labour and a high rate of caesarean delivery. Also the Bishop score does not require any special equipment however its evaluation remains a matter of controversy depending on the differences in the clinical senses of examinations.