title: Prelabor rupture of membranes at term requiring labor induction - a feature of occult fetal cephalopelvic disproportion?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the maternal and neonatal characteristics related to labor outcome following induction for prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM) after 37 weeks' gestation.
  
  
  METHODS
  All singleton pregnancies delivered following spontaneous or induced labor after 37 weeks in four years were analyzed. Patients with labor induction for PROM comprised the study group. Outcome of labor was analyzed according to gestational age at delivery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 13,505 patients in the entire cohort, 1710 (12.7%) had labor induction for PROM. These women were older and heavier, were more nulliparas and had more large-for-gestational age (LGA) infants, higher rates of instrumental and cesarean deliveries, and a shorter mean gestation, but no difference in height, mean birth weight, or incidence of male infants. Multiple logistic regression analysis confirmed that labor induction was a weak but significant independent factor for cesarean delivery (aOR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.01-1.38). The rates of cesarean delivery significantly correlated with gestational age at delivery for both LGA (P<0.001) and non-LGA (P<0.001) infants, together with significantly increased birth weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that a likely explanation for the cesarean delivery following labor induction for PROM at term in our population is underlying cephalopelvic disproportion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. bcpchan@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: Ben Chong-Pun
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Wing Cheong
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Terence Tsz-Hsi
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Lao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D001835:Body Weight; D052178:Cephalopelvic Disproportion / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007751:Labor, Induced / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D017211:Treatment Failure