• Livinus N Onah, Cyril C Dim, Uchenna I Nwagha, and Benjamin C Ozumba.
• Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu Nigeria.
• Afr Health Sci. 2015 Dec 1; 15 (4): 109711031097-103.

BackgroundEarly amniotomy is common in obstetric practice but, its effectiveness has not been proven.ObjectivesTo determine the effects of early amniotomy on the duration of labour, and other maternal / neonatal outcomes of uncomplicated pregnancies in Enugu, South-east Nigeria.MethodsA randomized controlled study of 214 consenting term pregnant women at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Nigeria. Intervention group received amniotomy early in active labour while the control group had their membranes conserved.ResultsMean duration of labour for the amniotomy group (279.4 ± 53.7 minutes) was significantly lower than that of control group (354.4 ± 67.5 minutes), (t = -8.988, p <0.001). Three (3.8%) women in amniotomy group needed oxytocin augmentation as against 21 (19.6%) women in the control group RR = 0.14, (CI 95%: 0.04 - 0.46), NNT = 16. The two groups did not vary with respect to cesarean section rate, newborn Apgar scores, and need for new born special care unit admission.ConclusionEarly amniotomy when compared to fetal membrane conservation reduced the duration of labour and need for oxytocin augmentation among term singleton pregnant women in Enugu, Nigeria. Its routine use in well selected cases may reduce prolonged labour and its complications.

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