Is tachysystole during labor induction linked with adverse perinatal outcomes?

A 5-year study offers reassurance that infants born to women who experience tachystytole during cervical ripening and labor induction are not more likely to have adverse outcomes. The findings were reported in Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation.

Researchers from the University of Mississippi looked at data over a 5-year period from 905 women who were undergoing cervical ripening and subsequent labor induction. Significant uterine tachysystole was defined as ≥6 contractions in each of 2 consecutive 10-minute windows. Women with ≥3 episodes of tachysystole were compared with women with no such episodes.

Over the study period, 631 of the participants had no tachysystole, 143 had 1 or 2 episodes, and 131 had ≥3 episodes (P=0.991). Fewer of the women with tachysystole (28.2% vs 34.1%) delivered via cesarean but the difference was not statistically significant.

In the women with tachysystole, non-reassuring fetal tracings were more common (14.4% vs 21.4%; P=0.017) but 5-minute Apgar scores and umbilical cord pH and base excess did not differ between the 2 groups.