Cervical ripening with laminaria tents prior to second trimester induction of labor.

Background: Induction abortion in the second trimester may be favored in some instances, such as in women with compounding medical conditions or when skilled providers are not available. Various methods of pre-induction cervical preparation have been used to shorten the length of induction and decrease the risk of complications. The benefits of cervical preparation with laminaria before D&E have been well studied, but the benefits of laminaria before medical induction are less clear.

Objective: To determine if overnight cervical preparation with laminaria tents shortens delivery interval in women undergoing 2nd trimester induction of labor (IOL) with misoprostol.

Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study comparing overnight intracervical laminaria placement followed by misoprostol to misoprostol alone for 2nd trimester IOL between 1/2000 and 12/2010. Women were excluded if the reason for IOL was preterm labor or preterm premature rupture of membranes or if misoprostol was not used as the primary induction agent. The primary outcome was time from misoprostol administration to delivery.

Results: 126 women were analyzed including 36 (29%) who received laminaria + misoprostol and 90 (71%) who received misoprostol alone. Women in the laminaria + misoprostol group were significantly older (30 yrs [14-44] vs. 27 yrs [17-43],  = .029). Induction for fetal anomaly (92% vs. 34%, .001) and the use of feticide (56% vs. 13%, .001) were more common in the laminaria + misoprostol group. The mean time to delivery in the laminaria + misoprostol group was 6 h longer compared to the misoprostol only group; 19 ± 8 h compared to 13 ± 12hrs ( = .007). There was no difference in fetal to placental delivery time ( = .329), total misoprostol dose ( = .182), or length of hospitalization ( = .144) however, significantly more women completed abortion at 24 hrs in the misoprostol alone group (90% vs. 61%, .001).

Conclusions: The use of laminaria tents for overnight cervical preparation does not expedite delivery times in patients undergoing 2nd trimester IOL with misoprostol.