Comparison 1. (1.1)Membranes sweeping versus no treatment: all women.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
3 Caesarean section	18	2389	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.90 [0.70, 1.15]
4 Serious neonatal morbidity/perinatal death	6	830	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.28 [0.32, 5.14]
5 Serious maternal morbidity or death	2	263	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
7 Oxytocin augmentation	3	649	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.96 [0.80, 1.14]
10 Epidural analgesia	6	1006	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.08 [0.94, 1.23]
11 Instrumental vaginal delivery	14	1842	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.15 [0.94, 1.42]
12 Meconium stained liquor	2	208	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.67 [0.33, 1.35]
13 Apgar score < 7 at 5 minutes	8	1386	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.13 [0.53, 2.43]
14 Neonatal intensive care unit admission	7	649	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.92 [0.52, 1.63]
16 Perinatal death	6	800	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.00 [0.20, 4.88]
23 Postpartum haemorrhage	3	278	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.31 [0.11, 0.89]
28 Not in labour or not delivered within 48 hours (not prespecified)	5	726	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.77 [0.70, 0.84]
29 Not delivered within one week (not prespecified)	9	1375	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.71 [0.65, 0.78]
30 Not delivered before 41 weeks (not prespecified)	6	937	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.59 [0.46, 0.74]
31 Not delivered before 42 weeks (not prespecified)	6	722	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.28 [0.15, 0.50]
32 Delay to delivery (days) (not prespecified)	10	1580	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐2.48 [‐3.00, ‐1.97]
33 Discomfort during vaginal examination (not prespecified)	2	320	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.83 [2.03, 3.96]
34 Vaginal bleeding (not prespecified)	3	391	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.75 [1.08, 2.83]
35 Contractions without onset of labour (not prespecified)	1	162	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	3.20 [1.63, 6.28]
36 'Formal' induction of labour (not prespecified)	12	1493	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.60 [0.51, 0.71]
37 Maternal infection/fever (not prespecified)	11	1680	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.05 [0.68, 1.65]
38 Prelabour rupture of membranes (not prespecified)	10	1525	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.14 [0.89, 1.45]
39 Neonatal infection (not prespecified)	6	786	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.92 [0.30, 2.82]