A pilot RCT on the Management of Term Prelabour Rupture of Membranes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
“Active vs expectant management and routine vs only-when-necessary vaginal examinations during labour for prelabour rupture of membranes at term, a pilot RCT study“
IRAS ID
157230
Contact name
Lucia Ramirez-Montesinos
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Central Lancashire
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 20 days
Research summary
This is a pilot study that will eventually result in a main randomised controlled trial that will look at what management is associated with a higher rate of normal birth and a lower rate of chorioamnionitis (maternal infection) when women break their waters but labour does not start.\nSpontaneous rupture of the membranes (when the waters break) at term (37-42 weeks gestation) is a physiological event that happens during labour. However, according to Gunn et al. (1970) in 8-10 % of the cases the membranes rupture before labour starts. The time between the rupture and the onset of labour is called latent phase and time wise is variable.\nStudies have showed no statistically significant differences in terms of neonatal infection or chorioamnionitis when we induce labour with prostaglandins compared to when labour starts spontaneously (Hannah et al 1996). Seaward et al. (1997) noted a number of confounding factors that might relate to the incidence of chorioamnionitis (maternal infection), the strongest predictor was having more than 8 vaginal examinations since the rupture of membranes and before delivery which was a stronger predictor than the duration of the latent phase. It is thought that by reducing the number of internal examinations, chorioamnionitis may be reduced, and hence neonatal infection may also be reduced. \nThe main RCT will compare clinical outcomes and maternal satisfaction when women consent to be randomized to four groups: (1) Active management and routine internal examinations during labour, (2) Active management and reduced internal examinations, (3) Expectant management and routine internal examinations, (4) Expectant management and reduced internal examinations.\nThis application seeks ethics approval for the pilot phase to ensure that a definitive study can be undertaken appropriately. It is important to test that all the components work well individually and as a whole, to estimate sample size and ultimately to test the integrity of the research protocol before embarking on the main trial.\n
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0264
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jun 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion