Propranolol Versus Placebo for Induction of Labor in Nulliparous Patients

Induction of labor is a common obstetric procedure, which is performed to provoke the onset of labor and lead to delivery of the fetus. While some early studies suggested a possible increased rate of cesarean with induction of labor, more recent meta-analyses have shown that induction does not influence this rate. There is data from small randomized studies that demonstrates the effectiveness of propranolol, a non-selective beta-blocker, for induction of labor. This literature suggests a decrease in the amount of time to delivery and a possible reduction in cesarean section rates when propranolol is used in conjunction with oxytocin for induction of labor compared to oxytocin alone.