Induction of labour by different methods in primiparous women. II. Neuro-behavioural status of the infants.
The infants of primiparous women in whom labour had been induced by three different methods were studied, together with a fourth group (D) who had laboured spontaneously. The methods of induction were: amniotomy followed by intravenous oxytocin (A), amniotomy followed by intravenous prostaglandin E2 (B), and prostaglandin E2 by the extra-amniotic route (C). Neurological assessments were made on the first day after birth, 4 days later, and at the age of 2 mth. No significant associations were found between method of delivery and neurological scores at any age. On day 1 infants with a lower Apgar score at 1 min had a lower neurological score than those with a high Apgar score (P < 0.05). On day 5 infants with a high serum bilirubin level (> 207 mumol/l) had a lower mean neurological score than those with a lower recorded serum bilirubin level (P < 0.05). By the age of 2 mth this difference had increased still further (P > 0.001). No differences were found in the mean neurological scores of infants in the four groups during the neonatal period, but at the age of 2 mth the mean score for infants in group A was significantly lower than that for infants in group C (P > 0.05) and D (P > 0.01). Among those children seen again at the age of 18 mth fine-motor adaptive performance was poorer for infants in group A than in groups B (P > 0.05), C (P > 0.005) and D (P > 0.01).
D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007751:Labor, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000008:administration & dosage
D011458:Prostaglandins E; D010121:Oxytocin; D001663:Bilirubin