Author(s)

D. Alalem, S. Kafy, H. Hashim, L. Aldukkan, H. Bajahmom

Obstetrics & Gynecology Department, Labor and Delivery, King Abdel-Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Induction of labor is the stimulation of the uterus to initiate the labor process whether by administering oxytocin, prostaglandin or reputing the membrane [1]. It was realized that the number of induction of labor patients was thought to be increasing in comparison with the spontaneous labor patients. Therefore, the complications of induced labor were higher. A detailed analysis was needed to confirm that. Objective: The aim of the study is to analyze the outcomes between spontaneous versus induced labor. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted at our tertiary care university hospital, in the period from December 2015 to December 2016 when 311 women were divided into two groups: group 1, women who had spontaneous labor (n = 106) compared with group 2, women who were labor induced (n = 205). Complications of pregnancy, delivery type, tear, episiotomy, blood transfusion and instruments used were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The mean ± SD of baseline characteristics, like age, height, weight, BMI and hemoglobin level for all study samples was 28.59 ± 5.95 years, 1.58 ± 0.06 m, 71.77 ± 13.42 kg, 28.59 ± 5.89 kg/m2 and 11.08 ± 1.45 g/dl respectively. A statistically significant difference was noticed in the duration of labor between spontaneous and induced labor (95% CI: 9.194 - 152.130; p-value 0.004 and OR: 0.239). There was no significant difference in complications, delivery type (Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery (SVD) or other), blood transfusion, and instrument used between women who had spontaneous labor versus induced labor. However, significant differences in tear (95% CI: 4.354 - 0.996; p-value 0.035) and episiotomy (95% CI: 0.928 - 0.224; p-value 0.028) were found between the two groups. In conclusion, the induced labor was found to be associated with high incidence of duration of labor, tear and episiotomy. Patients should always be counseled when there it is an option between the two delivery types.

Cesarean Section, Labor Induction, Spontaneous Labor, Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery (SVD), Oxytocin

Alalem, D. , Kafy, S. , Hashim, H. , Aldukkan, L. and Bajahmom, H. (2019) Spontaneous versus Induced Labor Delivery, a Retrospective Analysis. Advances in Reproductive Sciences, 7, 1-6. doi: 10.4236/arsci.2019.71001.