TITLE:
Induction of Labour by Intra-Cervical Balloon at the Pikine National Hospital Centre: A Report of 30 Cases Collected between 2018 and 2024
AUTHORS:
Mouhamet Sene, Khalifa Ababacar Gueye, Moussa Diallo, Houda Zagar, Abdoul Aziz Diouf, Anna Dia, Youssou Toure, Alassane Diouf
KEYWORDS:
Induction of Labour, Intra-Cervical Balloon, Cervical Ripening, Scarred Uterus, Vaginal Delivery
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.16 No.8,
August
12,
2026
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Induction of labour is an obstetric practice aimed at artificially bringing on childbirth when continuing the pregnancy becomes risky for the mother-child pair. The intra-cervical balloon is a mechanical method whose appeal is growing, particularly in low-resource settings. It consists of introducing a catheter fitted with inflatable balloons (a Foley catheter) into the uterine cervix, which induces progressive cervical dilation. The objective of this study was to assess the success rate of the intra-cervical balloon in labour induction as well as the maternal-fetal prognosis. Methodology: This is a retrospective, descriptive, and analytical study of 30 cases of labour induction by intra-cervical balloon collected at the Pikine National Hospital Centre over a seven-year period. This retrospective study included singleton and twin pregnancies ≥ 22 weeks’ gestation with complete medical records. Labour induction was performed using a 16 Fr Foley catheter (60 - 80 mL balloon inflation) under standardized maternal and fetal monitoring. Results: The results show a vaginal delivery rate of 83.3%; a scarred uterus was the main indication for placing the intra-cervical balloon (70.3%). We noted a significant improvement in the Bishop score with the intra-cervical balloon, a low rate of maternal-fetal complications with an Apgar score > 7 at the 5th minute for 93.3% of newborns, with no uterine rupture or maternal death.