Tannirandorn 1999.

Methods	Randomised controlled trial.
Participants	Duration of study: November 1994 to March 1995 (patients were enrolled). Setting: Antenatal clinic, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. Participants randomised: N = 96. Inclusion criteria: gestation between 39 and 40 weeks verified by known last normal menstrual period, early confirmation through size and ultrasound prior to 20 weeks' gestation and no size/date discrepancy during antenatal visits (Page 230). Exclusion criteria: uncertain dates, abnormal fetal presentations, unengaged fetal head, known medical complications of pregnancy, placenta praevia known lower genital tract infections, history of a previous caesarean section or no desire to participate in the study (Page 230). Parity: mixed. Both nulliparous and multiparous women included (Page 230).
Interventions	Membrane stripping (n = 41): in the membrane stripping group: “Stripping of the membranes was done by digital separation of 2‐3cm of the membranes from the lower uterine segment using two circumferential passes of the examining finger under aseptic technique. In those patients with long closed cervices randomised to the stripping group the cervix was stretched digitally until membrane stripping could be accepted” This intervention was performed weekly along with a gentle pelvic examination for Bishop scoring (Page 230). Control group (n = 39): in the control group: a weekly “gentle pelvic examination for Bishop scoring was given.” “The authors performed all membrane stripping and assignment of Bishop scores after standardisation of the technique.” If gestational age reached > 42 completed weeks (> 294 days) without spontaneous onset of labour, the patients were admitted into the hospital for fetal monitoring and induction was performed with either Prostin E2 vaginal tablet or IV oxytocin (Page 230).
Outcomes	Spontaneous vaginal delivery Caesarean section Forceps delivery Puerperal morbidity PPH Chorioamnionitis
Notes	Funding: none declared. Trial authors’ declaration of interest: none declared. Informed consent obtained: yes "obtaining informed consent" (Page 230). Ethical approval: yes "the protocol was approved by the ethical committee of the faculty of medicine Chulalongkorn Hospital" (Page 230). Email sent 17 August 2017 and 28 August 2017 requesting further information. No reply to date
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	“assigned to one of two groups according to a table of random numbers”, page 230.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Not reported.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Participants: blinding of participants not reported. Personnel: “Only the authors performed all membrane stripping and assignment of Bishop scores after standardization of the technique.”, page 230.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Not reported.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	N = 80 (96 were recruited, 16 were excluded. Of those excluded 7 had lower genital tract infections, 4 delivered at another hospital, 3 could not perform membrane sweeping and 2 did not participate in the study) < 20%. Page 230.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	Insufficient information to make informed decision.
Other bias	Low risk	No evidence of other bias.