The multicentre collaborative OPTION study (where Prof Magnus Domellöf is a member of the national steering committee) has of the 28th November 2022 started up at Umeå University Hospital.
Induction of labour (IOL) is currently performed at almost about 25% of all Swedish deliveries, for a number of different reasons, and the proportion of IOL deliveries is expected to increase to > 30% after the recently lowered post term gestational age limit for recommended IOL.
Outpatient IOL is not routinely performed in Sweden but is widely practiced in some other countries. However, no previous study has had sufficient power to demonstrate safety of this procedure.
The OPTION study is a randomized, controlled trial (n=8500) with the primary aim to evaluate safety with regard to maternal and neonatal outcomes. In addition to efficacy and safety, the OPTION study aims to investigate pregnant mothers’, partners’, midwifes’ and obstetricians’ experience of home induction including health related and economic aspects for both mother and child.
The study is a multicentre collaboration in Sweden, where most of the hospitals with a delivery ward will participate.
If the results of the study show that home induction is as safe and effective as induction in hospital, hospitals hope to be able to offer women this as an option in the future.
The start-up of the study in Umeå has generated coverage locally from among others Region Västerbotten, the local newspaper Västerbottens Kuriren and local SVT news (coverage in Swedish).
Foto: Region Västerbotten