Assessment of the effect of intravenous dexamethasone use on pre-induction cervical parameters and induction of labour outcomes:a randomized controlled study.

The Obstetrician have to induce labour for various obstetric reasons, thus making induction of labour one of the commonly practiced contemporary obstetric interventions. Induction of labour (IOL) is most often conducted to mitigate perinatal mortality and improve maternal and perinatal outcomes. A well ‘primed’ cervix increases the success rate of achieving vagina delivery with positive materno-foetal outcomes. An appropriately scheduled and successful IOL enhances maternal and perinatal outcomes. This study is proposed to assess the role of dexamethasone in improving Bishop score before commencement of IOL and other effects on labour progress as well as materno-foetal outcomes. Objective: To evaluate the use of dexamethasone in IOL as it pertains to Pre-IOL cervical changes, duration of labour progress and labour outcomes. To further extend already existing knowledge on the use of dexamethasone in obstetric practice and conduction of IOL in UBTH, a tertiary hospital in Nigeria, West- Africa.