Effect of Membrane Sweeping at Term on Duration of Onset of Labour at Tertiary Care Hospital (EMSTDOLTCH) (EMSTDOLTCH)

May 25, 2026 updated by: Kharadar General Hospital

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether membrane sweeping can help start labour naturally and improve delivery outcomes in women with term pregnancy. Membrane sweeping is a simple procedure performed during a vaginal examination in which a healthcare provider gently separates the membranes around the baby from the lower part of the uterus. This may help the body release natural hormones that encourage labour to begin.

This study will include pregnant women aged 18 to 45 years with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies between 38 and 41 weeks of gestation. The main questions this study aims to answer are:

  • Does membrane sweeping reduce the time taken for labour to start naturally?
  • Does membrane sweeping reduce the need for medical induction of labour and cesarean section?
  • Does membrane sweeping improve maternal and newborn outcomes at term pregnancy?

Researchers will compare women who undergo membrane sweeping with women who receive routine care without membrane sweeping to determine whether the procedure improves labour and delivery outcomes.

Participants in the membrane sweeping group will undergo membrane sweeping during routine vaginal examination from 38 weeks of pregnancy until labour starts or until 41 weeks of gestation. Participants in the control group will receive routine antenatal and obstetric care without membrane sweeping. Researchers will record the onset of labour, duration of labour, mode of delivery, and maternal and newborn complications during and after delivery.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Labour induction is one of the most common interventions performed in obstetric practice, particularly in women with prolonged or post-term pregnancy. Delayed onset of labour at term pregnancy may increase the risk of maternal and neonatal complications, including cesarean section, fetal distress, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission. Membrane sweeping is a simple mechanical technique that may help stimulate the natural onset of labour by promoting the release of endogenous prostaglandins and enhancing cervical ripening.

This randomized controlled trial will be conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Kharadar General Hospital, Karachi. The study will aim to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of membrane sweeping in women with uncomplicated term pregnancy between 38 and 41 weeks of gestation.

A total of 214 pregnant women aged 18 to 45 years with singleton pregnancies and cephalic presentation will be enrolled in the study. Participants will be allocated into two groups. Women in the intervention group will undergo membrane sweeping during routine vaginal examination, while women in the control group will receive routine obstetric care without membrane sweeping.

Membrane sweeping will be performed by the attending obstetrician by inserting one or two gloved fingers through the cervix and gently separating the fetal membranes from the lower uterine segment using a circular sweeping motion. The procedure may be repeated weekly from 38 weeks of gestation until spontaneous labour occurs or until 41 weeks of gestation. Women who do not enter spontaneous labour by 41 weeks may undergo formal induction of labour according to hospital protocol.

The study will assess the duration between intervention and onset of labour, spontaneous onset of labour, need for induction of labour, and mode of delivery. Maternal outcomes including postpartum hemorrhage, premature rupture of membranes, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, and maternal infection will also be evaluated. Neonatal outcomes including low Apgar score, fetal distress, neonatal infection, low birth weight, NICU admission, and neonatal mortality will be recorded.

Data collected during the study will be analyzed to determine whether membrane sweeping is associated with earlier onset of labour, reduced need for induction, lower cesarean section rates, and improved maternal and neonatal outcomes. The findings of this study may help provide evidence regarding the role of membrane sweeping as a safe, low-cost, and effective intervention for management of term pregnancies.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

214

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Sindh
      • Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
        • Kharader General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Singleton pregnancy.
  • Cephalic presentation.
  • Gestational age between 38 and 41 weeks.
  • Intact fetal membranes.
  • Women with uncomplicated term pregnancy.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Women unwilling to participate in the study.
  • Multiple pregnancies.
  • Mal-presentation.
  • Placenta previa or placental abruption.
  • Previous uterine surgery or previous two cesarean sections.
  • Premature rupture of membranes.
  • Gestational hypertension or diabetes mellitus.
  • Severe fetal anomalies.
  • Active cervical or genital herpes infection.
  • Contraindications to vaginal delivery.
  • High-risk pregnancy requiring immediate intervention.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Membrane sweeping group
participants in this group will undergo membrane sweeping during routine vaginal examination from 38 weeks of gestation until spontaneous labour occur or until 41 weeks of gestation
Procedure: membrane sweeping
membrane sweeping will be performed by inserting one or two gloved fingers through the cervix and gently separating the fetal membranes from the lower uterine segment using a circular sweeping motion during vaginal examination
Other Names:
  • membrane stripping
  • Cervical Sweeping
  • Sweeping of membrane
Active Comparator: No intervention / Active comparator
participants in this group will receive routine obstetric care and routine vaginal examination without membrane sweeping
Procedure: Routine Vaginal examination
participants in the control group will receive routine obstetric care and routine vaginal examination without membrane sweeping

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
spontaneous Onset of Labour
Time Frame: 38 to 41 weeks of gestation
number of participants who achieve spontaneous labour without formal induction
38 to 41 weeks of gestation

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Induction of labour
Time Frame: at 41 weeks of gestation
number of participants requiring pharmacological or surgical induction of labour
at 41 weeks of gestation
maternal Complication
Time Frame: During labour and with in 24 hours after delivery
Assessment of PPH. PROM, meconium stained amniotic fluid and maternal infection
During labour and with in 24 hours after delivery

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Kharadar General Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 31, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

January 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 25, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 29, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 25, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • KGH-ERB:2025/012

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

individual participant data collected during this study ill not be publicly available

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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