Labor induction with mifepristone.

The article reports that the antiprogestin drug mifepristone can be used to induce labor in a vaginal delivery, even when the woman has had a previous cesarean section. At a hospital in France, researchers identified 32 women at or near term who for a variety of medical reasons were scheduled to have labor induced. Eleven of the 16 women treated with mifepristone began labor within the study period, compared with two of those given the placebo. Among the remaining women, those treated with mifepristone needed half as much oxytocin to initiate labor as did those given the placebo, and had a shorter mean time between treatment and the start of labor.