Sweeping the membranes: a valid procedure in stimulating the onset of labour?

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Abstract
Objective To determine whether sweeping the membranes in pregnancies of longer than 40 weeks gestation results in an accelerated onset of labour and a reduction in the incidence of induction of labour.Design A prospective randomised controlled study.Setting The antenatal clinic of a district general hospital.Subjects One hundred and ninety‐five antenatal women with pregnancies proceeding beyond 40 weeks gestation.Interventions A Bishop score assessment of the cervix alone or combined with a membrane sweep, on a randomised basis.Outcome measures Subsequent duration of pregnancy to the onset of spontaneous labour. The incidence of induction of labour for post‐maturity.Results Sweeping the membranes significantly reduces the subsequent duration of pregnancy, from an average of five days to two days following the procedure. The proportion of inductions of labour was 8.1 % in the swept group and 18.8% in the control group. No harmful side effects to the procedure were noted.Conclusions Sweeping the membranes is a safe and useful procedure which results in a reduced incidence of post‐mature pregnancies, and a subsequent reduction in the labour induction rate.

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