Prepared and published by Update Software Ltd . All rights reserved. A substantive amendment to this systematic review was last made on 01 December 2000. Cochrane reviews are regularly checked and updated if necessary.
Prostaglandins are hormones naturally present in the uterus that cause contractions during labour.
A synthetic prostaglandin analogue misoprostol is produced in tablets that can be given orally or vaginally, but it is not yet licensed for use in pregnancy. Unlicensed use of misoprostol in pregnancy is increasingly common, because misoprostol is cheap, stable at room temperature and effective in causing uterine contractions. Oral use of the drug misoprostol may be convenient, but high doses could cause uterine hyperstimulation and uterine rupture which may be life-threatening for both mother and fetus. The objective of this review was to assess the effects of oral misoprostol used for labour induction in women with a viable fetus in the third trimester of pregnancy. The Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register were searched in December 2000.