IV PAPAVERINE Prior to Propess for Labor Induction

More than 22% of all pregnant women undergo induction of labor. Induction of labor is usually medically indicated for maternal and fetal related conditions; however, elective induction has become more common since the ARRIVE trial. Women with an unfavourable cervix, according to Bishop-score (\<6), are prone to higher induction failure rates and are candidates for cervical ripening. The cervix is composed of connective tissue and smooth-muscle located mainly beneath the internal os. Papaverine is an antispasmodic-musculotropic drug that targets smooth-muscle, resulting in decreased muscle spasm and subsequent smooth-muscle relaxation. The half-life of the drug is in the range of 0.5-2 hours, and its action starts 10 minutes after administration. Short-term use of papaverine during the first trimester has been reported as safe. However, outcome data are lacking of the use of mucosotropic-agents prior to PGE2 (propess) insertion. We will investigate this in a trial in which the co-primary outcomes were the change in Bishop-score after PGE2 extraction and the PGE2 insertion-to-delivery interval