SummaryEither catgut or polyglycolic acid sutures (“Dexon”) were randomly selected for the repair of episiotomies in 100 patients. Significantly less postpartum perineal pain and oedema occurred when polyglycolic acid sutures were used.

SummaryProstaglandins E, and F, o were administered by mouth to induce labour in 24 patients at or past term. The drugs were administered at two-hourly intervals in doses ranging from 0-5 to 15 mg for prostaglandin E, and from 5 to 15 mg for prostaglandin F,x. Of the 10 cases in which prostaglandin E. was used, labour was successfully induced in eight and there were no side effects. With prostaglandin F,or labour was induced in 12 of 14 patients nine of whom had gastrointestinal disturbance, mostly of mild degree. With both drugs the infant was apparently unaffected and Apgar scores were satisfactory. Uterine hypertonus was not observed and the postpartum blood loss was within normal limits.

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Summary Three groups of primigravidae, matched for age, height, weight, maturity and inducibility score were studied in order to compare the effectiveness as induction agents of intravenously administered prostaglandin F, (PGF,), prostaglandin E, (PGE) and oxytocin (Syntocinon) in escalating dosage. In all cases, amniotomy was postponed until labour had become established and, if this did not occur within 12 hours, the drug was discontinued. Oxytocin in the dosage employed was the most effective of the three drugs tested. Of the 20 patients given oxytocin, 19 progressed to vaginal delivery, the mean infusion‐delivery interval being 10 hours 8 minutes. Of the 10 patients given PGE, and the 10 patients given PGF, 5 showed no dilatation of the cervix within 12 hours, and the remaining 15 had a mean infusion‐delivery interval of 13 hours and 23 minutes. Side effects were not severe with any of the drugs employed, and Apgar scores of the newborn showed no significant difference in the groups studied.

Prostaglandin E, (PGE,) and oxytocin were given simultaneously by intravenous infusion to 28 patients with a missed abortion, 5 patients with a hydatidiform mole and 17 patients at or after 28 weeks gestation with intrauterine death (IUD) of the fetus. There were no failures of induction although a repeat infusion was necessary in 2 patients, and 20 of the 33 induced abortions were incomplete. The average induction to delivery interval for all cases was less than 10 hours. Pyrexia developed in one-third of the patients. There were no other undesirable side effects.