Induction of labor by Foley catheter compared with spontaneous onset of labor after previous cesarean section: a cohort study

Objective:to evaluate the safety of induction of labor (iol) with foley catheter (fc) in women with a history of previous cesarean section (cs) and to assess risk factors for repeat cs and adverse maternal outcomes.study design:cohort study of 1559 women with a history of previous cs in helsinki university hospital, finland between 2013 and 2014.results:three hundred and sixty-one women (23.2%) underwent iol by fc and 1198 (76.8%) had spontaneous onset of labor. the rate of repeat cs was higher in women undergoing iol (38% vs 20.2%; p<0.001). the overall rate of uterine rupture was 0.3% in induced labor and 0.8% in spontaneous onset of labor (p=0.47). adverse maternal outcomes were not significantly different. the intrapartum and postpartum infection rates were higher in women undergoing iol compared with spontaneous onset of labor (6.1% vs 1.8%; p>0.001 and 5.3% vs 1.3%; p<0.001, respectively).conclusion:fc appears safe and effective method for iol in women with a history of previous cs.