That was the only case report we could find on any negative effects. Now, several studies have evaluated the effects of vaginal EPO on cervical ripening in people who are not pregnant, but they were going in for invasive gynecological procedures.
In , Wada et al, evaluated the effects of EPO on cervical ripening in dilation before an operative hysteroscopy. This study took place in Iran. A hysteroscopy is an operative procedure where the provider inserts a thin tube through the closed cervix to examine the cervix in the inside of the uterus, in order to diagnose or treat problems such as infertility or abnormal bleeding.
Priming agents, including prostoglandins are used to ripen the cervix before the procedure. In this study, the researchers randomly assigned 28 people to receive two soft gels of EPO, milligrams each, and 22 people to receive a placebo. In both cases, the soft gels were applied to the far back of the vagina, six to eight hours before the procedure. They found the EPO is effective at ripening the cervix before the procedure. It was easy to use, available, inexpensive and had no side effects.
Three other studies from the Philippines have also found improved cervical dilation with high doses that they did not define, a vaginal EPO given in the eight hours before gynecologic procedures. Ovno, one of the studies mentioned puncturing the capsules before inserting them vaginally. There were no bad side effects noted in any of the studies. Those studies had a total of eight people, 80 people and 84 people.
So in summary, there has been a lot of new research, especially coming out in the past couple of years on using EPO for cervical ripening. So far, the studies show that EPO may have some therapeutic potential for cervical ripening.
In all, we found four randomized control trials on using EPO for cervical ripening. Two of the trials looked at vaginal use, and two of them looked at oral. Use both of the trials on vaginal use of EPO found that it was useful for cervical ripening among people giving birth for the first time.
One of the studies used a daily dose of a thousand milligrams inserted vaginally, starting at the 38th week of pregnancy until birth. And the other study used a onetime dose of milligrams alongside a medical labor induction for post-term pregnancy. Of the two studies on oral use of EPO, one found benefits for cervical ripening using one milligram capsule, three times daily for one week. The benefits were most pronounced among first time parents and those beyond 39 weeks of pregnancy.
The other randomized control trial on oral use of EPO among first time mothers, a thousand milligrams given twice daily for seven days, starting at 40 weeks found that oral EPO made no difference in cervical ripening, the length of pregnancy or the length of labor. No bad side effects were reported in any of these studies.
Our recent review article cautioned that EPO should be avoided in people with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders who take phenothiazine, a medication.
And that EPO may raise the risk of bleeding among people who take anti-platelet and anticoagulant drugs. In addition, some people have complained of nausea, headache, and diarrhea after using EPO. Also, keep in mind that the people in these studies were all healthy, with no pregnancy complications.
Also, most of these studies excluded people who were going for a vaginal birth after cesarean. After looking at the evidence, it seems like there may be some promise with the use of vaginal EPO, less so for the oral EPO.
Thanks for listening. Last year at Evidence Based Birth, we hosted focus groups and talked with nurses from across the US, who told us that they wish they had a way to learn or refresh their comfort measure skills to use with birthing clients.
So we created the comfort measures for labor and delivery nurses workshop. This is a three hour in-person workshop with nursing contact hours. Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to our podcast: iTunes Stitcher On today's podcast, we're going to talk with Ihotu Ali, MPH, who is writing about research on the effects of racism on pregnancy and birth outcomes. Subscribe to our podcast: iTunes Stitcher. Resources Aquino, P. Transcript Hi everyone. Get a free crash course on evidence-based care.
Subscribe to our awesome newsletter and you'll receive free one-page handouts on your favorite hot topics, along with being notified when the latest evidence is published! Visit our shop. Stay empowered, read more :. Search Search for:. Join Our Professional Membership. Further research may shed more light on the safety and effectiveness of evening primrose oil. Until such research becomes available, people should be cautious. Doctors and midwives will be able to help women decide which natural and medical remedies to try when aiming to induce labor.
Membrane stripping is a method of inducing labor. During the procedure, a doctor will use a gloved hand to sweep inside the cervix. This releases…. Between the early stages of labor to the point of delivery, the cervix opens up from a tight, closed hole to an opening the size of a large bagel…. A Foley bulb induction is when a doctor inserts a small balloon into the cervix to help it dilate faster.
Foley bulb induction is one of many ways to…. When the cervix dilates to a certain extent, this is one sign that a baby is ready to be born. Dilation is usually gradual, and there are many ways to…. Many people believe that stimulating the nipples can help to induce labor. Nipple stimulation causes the release of a hormone that triggers uterine…. Can evening primrose oil help induce labor? Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.
What is evening primrose oil? Can it induce labor? Reducing gestational diabetes symptoms. One small study found that taking evening primrose oil plus vitamin D during pregnancy helped reduce symptoms of gestational diabetes.
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In This Article. What is evening primrose oil? Why do pregnant women take evening primrose oil supplements? Is it safe to use evening primrose oil to induce labor? Nursing Practice Today. Shahali, S. The effect of vaginal evening primrose capsule on cervical ripening in nulliparous women with post-term pregnancy: A clinical trial. Join now to personalize. Photo credit: ThinkStock. What is evening primrose oil? Can I use evening primrose oil to induce labor?
Is evening primrose oil safe during pregnancy? How do I take evening primrose oil? Pros and cons of evening primrose oil. Pros and cons of evening primrose oil It's hard to know for sure what the pros and cons of using evening primrose oil during pregnancy are because it hasn't been widely studied. Don't take evening primrose oil if you have a seizure disorder, as it may reduce the potency of anti-seizure medications. Sources BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world.
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