Outpatient Cervical Ripening

This study will attempt to assess whether outpatient cervical ripening with misoprostol, a synthetic PGE1 analog (Cytotec(R), Pfizer), is an effective and safe option for low-risk pregnant women at or after 39 weeks gestation with an unfavorable cervix. This study comes in the wake of the ARRIVE trial, which may reasonably increase the number of low-risk term inductions.

The process of labor induction, including cervical ripening, can take several hours or even days. This prolonged course contributes not only to long hospital stays and subsequently increased financial burden to both patients and healthcare systems, but also to patient and provider dissatisfaction with length of induction. Additionally, with the expected increase in elective inductions of primigravid women with unfavorable cervices as a result of the ARRIVE study, hospitals face the possibility of being at capacity on labor and delivery with inadequate staffing to ensure patient safety.

Traditionally, the process of cervical ripening begins after inpatient hospital admission. Several small studies have evaluated outpatient ripening with various agents including foley balloon catheters, PGE1 analogs such as misoprostol, and other prostaglandins. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has commented on the limited data available on outpatient cervical ripening safety and efficacy, noting that outpatient cervical ripening is "appropriate for carefully selected patients" in Practice Bulletin 107. Data have been reassuring as far as safety and efficacy based on several studies, but are limited due to small sample size, For example, a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study in 2009 found that outpatient oral misoprostol for late term pregnancies had a significantly shorter time from study entry to spontaneous labor and delivery. This study showed no difference in fetal or maternal morbidity, but was not powered to safety as there were only 44 subjects per group (10). Some institutions including OB/GYN groups at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, South Shore Hospital in MA, and Alaska Native medical center have incorporated outpatient ripening into their everyday practices, but little data on outcomes have been published from these sites.

The investigators aim to determine if outpatient cervical ripening is a safe, non-inferior option to the traditional inpatient cervical ripening. The investigators will evaluate whether outpatient ripening impacts patient satisfaction, patient/hospital costs, and adverse outcomes in our health system setting. Cervical ripening is standard care at other OB/GYN practices across the county and the investigators intend to apply this care pathway for patients. The investigator's goal is to ensure the safety of participants by carefully selecting low risk patients and providing necessary fetal monitoring before and after administration. The results of this study can be used to determine if outpatient cervical ripening can be incorporated in daily practices of OB/GYN providers at GHS.