Impact of membrane sweeping on promoting the onset of active labour in Honduras

Background/Aims Membrane sweeping is a common intervention used to promote labour onset, but its impact on the active phase of labour in nulliparous women has not been investigated. This study's aim was to determine the effectiveness of membrane sweeping in reducing time to active labour and the need for augmentation in nulliparous women with an unfavourable cervix. Methods This randomised controlled trial involved 71 nulliparous women at ≥37 weeks' gestation with a Bishop score <7. Participants were allocated to membrane sweeping ( n =38) or expectant management ( n =33) and time to active labour (≥6cm dilation) was recorded. Results The membrane sweeping group had a significantly shorter mean time to active labour (8.3 vs 10.6 hours; P =0.03) and were 64% less likely to need oxytocin augmentation ( P =0.038). Caesarean section rates and maternal satisfaction were similar in both groups. Conclusions Membrane sweeping effectively reduced time to active labour and the need for pharmacological augmentation, supporting its use to minimise medicalisation. Implications for practice Implementation of membrane sweeping in clinical protocols could promote physiological birth and reduce unnecessary medicalisation in high-volume obstetric settings, potentially optimising resource allocation in public health systems.