Experience with misoprostol in the management of missed abortion in the second trimester

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness and safety of misoprostol (cytotec, Searle) used during labour in women with missed abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy. Labour was induced in 42 women with missed abortion at the Women's Health and Action Research Centre, Benin City, Nigeria with intermittent vaginal administration of 100 μg tablets of misoprostol every 6h. All women achieved successful vaginal delivery with five women requiring post-delivery uterine evacuation. The gestational ages of the women at the time of induction ranged between 13-24 weeks with a median of 17 weel s. The median dose of misoprostol resulting in successful delivery was 1,100 μg and ranged between 300 μg to 3,100 μg. Side-effects were minimal with five patients experiencing shivering, two women experiencing fever, while three vomited during the period of the induction. These results confirm the efficacy and safety of misoprostol for induction of labour in second trimester missed abortion in Nigerian women. We conclude that misoprostol is effective in the management of missed abortion in the second trimester in Nigeria. © 2005 Taylor & Francis.