:
Forty out of 52 patients delivered vaginally, 4 patients failed to progress and the procedure was terminated in 2 patients who developed foetal distress. Five patients had thin meconium stained amniotic fluid with borderline pelvis and were then up for caesarean section. One patient had cord prolapse and was then up for Caesarean section. In one patient the catheter was reinserted for another 6 hours when the cervix failed to dilate. There were no cases of infection, ruptured membranes, haemorrhage or other complication attributed to balloon catheter use.
Mean induction to delivery interval was 8 hours.
:
Cervical ripening with extraamniotic catheter possesses the advantage of simplicity, low cost, reversibility and lack of systemic or serious side effects.
However ripening with Foley’s subsequently requires oxytocin stimulation augmentation.
While the effect of Foley’s catheter might not be as pronounced as extra amniotic prostaglandin, it is sufficient to allow a successful induction of labour and reduces the induction delivery interval from what it would have been with an unripe cervix. Cases of uterine hypertonous and foetal bradycardia have been reported following the use of prostaglandin (Mackenzie and Embery 1978; Mackenzie and Embrey 1979) and this necessitates cardiotocographic monitoring when these potent agents are used. This does not apply to the use of Foley’s catheter which is cheap and easily available.
So basically it is likely that so long as baby is engaged (which will make cord prolapse impossible) and your body and baby are somewhat ready for labour (which will mean you won't go into the failure to respond group - though if you DO, you can say to your Ob you'll go home and come back in a few days if you have the foleys catheter, if you have prostin gels you have to stay in until the baby is born, which, if your cervix doesn't respond and ripen, will be by c-section) this will be the safest of the medical induction, though obviously, as you know yourself, no induction can be termed "safe", sometimes it can be the safer option and it is down to the individual and their care providers to make these decisions.