Comparison 1. Amniotic membranes sweeping versus no treatment/sham.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 Spontaneous onset of labour	17	3170	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	1.21 [1.08, 1.34]
2 Induction of labour	16	3224	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.73 [0.56, 0.94]
3 Caesarean section	32	5499	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.94 [0.85, 1.04]
4 Spontaneous vaginal birth	26	4538	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	1.03 [0.99, 1.07]
5 Maternal death or serious morbidity	17	2749	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.83 [0.57, 1.20]
6 Neonatal death or serious neonatal perinatal morbidity	18	3696	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.83 [0.59, 1.17]
7 Instrumental vaginal birth	22	3888	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	1.06 [0.91, 1.25]
8 Epidural analgesia	9	2162	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	1.14 [0.97, 1.33]
9 Postpartum haemorrhage	5	760	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.89 [0.57, 1.39]
10 Augmentation of labour	9	2011	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.92 [0.72, 1.17]
11 Apgar score less than seven at five minutes	10	1958	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	1.11 [0.51, 2.40]