Propranolol Versus Placebo for Induction of Labor in Nulliparous Patients

Propranolol Versus Placebo for Induction of Labor in Nulliparous Patients: a Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial

A randomized, prospective trial will be offered to women admitted to the labor floors at Mount Sinai Medical Center for labor induction.

Induction of labor is a common obstetric procedure, which is performed to provoke the onset of labor and lead to delivery of the fetus. While some early studies suggested a possible increased rate of cesarean with induction of labor, more recent meta-analyses have shown that induction does not influence this rate. There is data from small randomized studies that demonstrates the effectiveness of propranolol, a non-selective beta-blocker, for induction of labor. This literature suggests a decrease in the amount of time to delivery and a possible reduction in cesarean section rates when propranolol is used in conjunction with oxytocin for induction of labor compared to oxytocin alone.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Nulliparous women undergoing induction of labor
• >37 weeks' gestational age
• Non-anomalous, singleton cephalic presenting fetus.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Multiple gestations, known fetal anomalies
• Maternal cardiac or hypertensive disease
• Chronic beta blocker use
• Bronchial asthma
• Maternal or fetal indication for immediate delivery.