Comparison the Effect of Anethum graveolens and Oxytocin on Induction of Labor in Term Pregnancy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Oxytocin, the most common medicine for labor induction, has maternal and fetal side effects and sometimes is not effective. Herbal medicines are alternatively utilized as safe methods. Dill includes tannin, which is a polyphenol with contractile properties, is potentially supposed to be able to induce uterus contractions. Objectives: The current study aimed to test the effects of Anethum graveolens (dill) seeds on induction of labor and compare it with oxytocin in term pregnancy. Patients and Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 100 eligible participants without any delivery signs such as labor pain, rapture of membranes or bloody show. Participants were allocated to either the case or control group and receiving boiled Anethum graveolens seeds or induction with oxytocin, respectively. Therefore, 0.018 g/kg of dill seeds with a spoonful of sugar was solved in 250 mL of boiling water and brewed for about 10 minutes. Then it was filtrated. Subjects in the case group drank this solution only once after admission and they were infused with simple Ringer solution. The control group received standard protocol of labor induction with oxytocin. Participants were followed up to the delivery time. Results: Case group had a significantly better Bishop score following the intervention compared to the control group. The mean duration of active phase, second and third stages of labor were significantly lower in the case group. The control group had shorter latent phase than the case group. Conclusions: Results showed that the boiled Anethum graveolens seeds was effective on labor induction.

Herbal Medicinal Product Use During Pregnancy and the Postnatal Period

“…Fourteen interventional 56–69 and 11 observational studies 34,70–79 were graded as high quality; 10 interventional 80–89 and 13 observational studies 14,31,90–100 were graded average quality, and five interventional 101–105 and two observational studies 24,106 were graded poor quality. These poor-quality studies were still included in the review, only low-quality case reports were excluded (Fig.…”

“…Sample size ranged from 27 to 500 women in interventional studies, 187 to 860,215 women in observational studies, and one to five women in case reports. Seven studies collected data during the first trimester of pregnancy; 71,82,85,88,96,105,107 10 during the second trimester; 41,58,67,81,83,84,87,89,101,108 12 during the third trimester; 38,62,64,80,91,92,100,102,103,106,109,110 five throughout pregnancy; 69,70,75,90,95 five around the time of labor (a few hours before or after delivery); 37,59–61,77 nine throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period; 14,31,39,72–74,78,79,111 three during the third trimester and the postnatal period; 40,112,113 20 during the postnatal period only; 24,34,56,63,65,66,68,76,86,94,97–99,104,114–119 and two did not specify the precise point during pregnancy of data collection. 57,93…”

“…14,64,65,75,77,88,91,92,96,100,113 Eleven studies did not mention how adverse events or herb–drug interactions were identified. 58,67,69,80,83,84,87,89,101,103,104…”

“…Thirty-one studies identified and reported the incidence of adverse events. 14,24,56,61,64–70,72–75,81–84,86–89,93–96,99,100,105,106 Fourteen studies reported that no adverse events were observed 57,58,60,62,63,68,71,80,85,101–104,118 (see Appendixes 1–4, available online at http://links.lww.com/AOG/B334, for details). Table 1 reports the most commonly used herbal medicinal products and their reported safety issues.…”

Prevention of Dystocia in Traditional Persian Medicine

“…Recently, Akbari et al have published a clinical trial to identify the dill effects on induction of labor in comparison with oxytocin in term pregnancy (1). Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) oil has been introduced in traditional Persian medicine (TPM) for prevention of labor dystocia.…”