There are more and more pregnant women who are obese. It is very difficult for obese women to
get into labor. That is why when women are obese, half are likely to need a Cesarean
delivery(C-section). Unfortunately, C-sections are more dangerous for obese women. There may
be a combination of issues that cause obese women to need C-sections. We believe one of those
reasons is that the womb of obese women respond differently to medications and devices
compared to non-obese women. There are commonly two ways to help women get into labor. One
way is a medication called misoprostol. The second way is a device called Foley balloon. In
most studies, both ways are equally effective in helping women get into labor. However, these
studies included everyone, and didn't focus on obese women.
So far there are no studies in this area that focus only on obese women. Therefore we need to
design this study to focus just on obese women and what is the best way to help them get into
labor and avoid a C-section.
Phase:
N/A
Details
Lead Sponsor:
University of Maryland University of Maryland, Baltimore