title: Uterine activity after oral mifepristone administration in human pregnancies beyond 41 weeks' gestation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of oral mifepristone on uterine activity in postterm human pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial comparing 200 mg oral mifepristone to placebo for preinduction cervical ripening in women with well-dated pregnancies beyond 41 weeks' gestation with unfavorable cervices, uterine activity was continuously recorded with external tocodynamometry and contraction frequency tabulated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-seven women received mifepristone and 83 women received placebo. Uterine activity (uterine contractions/hour) was greater in the mifepristone than in the placebo group between 7 h (8.03 +/- 0.48 vs. 5.90 +/- 0.39, p = 0.001) and 24 h (8.53 +/- 0.68 vs. 6.61 +/- 0.46, p = 0.02) after dosing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral mifepristone administration to women with pregnancies beyond 41 weeks increases uterine activity in the absence of externally administered uterotonic agents.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Michael.J.Fassett@kp.org
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fassett
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Wing
mesh_terms: D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D020070:Cervical Ripening / Q000187:drug effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007751:Labor, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011273:Pregnancy, Prolonged; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal; D015735:Mifepristone