Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of study groups
| Measure | Foley catheter (n = 300) | Misoprostol (n = 302) |
|---|---|---|
| Study site | ||
| GMC, n (%) | 150 (50.0) | 151 (50.0) |
| Daga, n (%) | 150 (50.0) | 151 (50.0) |
| Background | ||
| Woman's age, mean (SD) [range] | 24.0 (3.5) [18–42] | 23.7 (3.1) [18–37] |
| Mother's education | ||
| No formal education, n (%) | 5 (1.7) | 2 (0.7) |
| Primary, n (%) | 86 (28.7) | 112 (37.1) |
| Secondary, n (%) | 149 (49.7) | 131 (43.3) |
| University, n (%) | 60 (20.1) | 57 (19.0) |
| Medical history | ||
| Nulliparous (no previous pregnancies >28 weeks), n (%) | 247 (82.3) | 236 (78.1) |
| Previous hypertension in pregnancy: n (%) | 8 (2.7) | 16 (5.3) |
| Previous stillbirth, n (%) | 1 (0.3) | 5 (1.7) |
| Pre‐existing diabetes/renal or liver disease, n (%) | 0 | 0 |
| Pre‐existing chronic hypertension, n (%) | 0 | 1 (0.3) |
| State at recruitment | ||
| Gestational age (best estimate in weeks), mean (SD) [range] | 38.2 (2.2) [29–42] | 38.1 (2.1) [29–41] |
| Estimate made by ultrasound at <20 weeks, n (%) | 131 (43.7) | 127 (42.1) |
| Systolic BP (mm/Hg), mean (SD) [range] | 142.2 (11.3) [104–180] | 142.8 (12.5) [102–190] |
| Diastolic BP (mm/Hg), mean (SD) [range] | 95.0 (8.3) [60–130] | 94.7 (8.3) [66–120] |
| Proteinuria at enrolment | ||
| Nil or trace, n (%) | 156 (52.0) | 162 (53.7) |
| +1 / +2, n (%) | 122 (40.6) | 121 (40.0) |
| +3 / +4, n (%) | 22 (7.4) | 19 (6.3) |
| Hypertensive symptoms at enrolment: n (%) | 64 (21.3) | 58 (19.2) |
| Woman received MgSO4 in last 12 hours, n (%) | 45 (15.0) | 42 (13.9) |
| Woman currently on antihypertensives, n (%) | 292 (97.3) | 289 (95.7) |