THIS paper reviews evidence that the foetus plays a vital role in determining gestation at labour. The hypothesis was not the keystone of our work initially, but evidence of foetal regulation of the myometrium became increasingly apparent during the course of studies on uterine contractility in human pregnancy. Work on induction of labour (Turnbull & Anderson, 1967, 1968a, b) made us aware of t...

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of parity on the relationship between pre-induction cervical length and the risk of Cesarean section in women undergoing induction of labor for prolonged pregnancy. METHODS In 382 singleton pregnancies, induction of labor was carried out at 41 + 3 to 42 + 1 weeks of gestation. The cervical length was measured by transvaginal sonography before induction. In 71 o...

BACKGROUND A woman carrying her first pregnancy is starting a new life, and this is a crucial time in her obstetric career. This study was aimed to compare the obstetric performance of primigravidae to that of the multigravidae with a view to suggesting ways of preventing the associated complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study was a cross-sectional case-control study carried out among wo...

BACKGROUND Induction of labour (IOL) has become more common among many populations, but the trends and drivers of IOL in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia are not known. This study investigated trends in IOL and associated factors among NT Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal mothers between 2001 and 2012. METHODS A retrospective analysis of all NT resident women who birthed in the NT between...

Post term pregnancy (PTP) is one of the commonest obstetric conditions. Pregnancy is called term when it lies between 37 completed weeks to 42 completed weeks (259 to 294 days) from the last menstrual period. If the pregnancy exceeds this period (above 42 completed weeks) it is classified as post term pregnancy. The over all incidence of PTP is 10.0% of all pregnancies. The incidence of PTP var...

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of parity on the relationship between pre-induction cervical length and the induction-to-delivery interval and rate of vaginal delivery within 24 h in women undergoing induction of labor for prolonged pregnancy. METHODS In 382 singleton pregnancies, induction of labor was carried out at 41 + 3 to 42 + 1 weeks of gestation. The cervical length was measured by tr...

BACKGROUND Globally, the prevalence of post term pregnancy (PTP) is about 5-10%, but the rate varies considerably between and within countries. PTP is defined as a pregnancy ≥294 days, but the definition is arbitrary. Many studies focusing on the prevalence, risks and management of PTP include pregnancies ≥41 gestational weeks (GW). However, qualitative interview studies concerning women's expe...