SynthesisBMC pregnancy and childbirth2025
Membrane sweeping in term pregnancy to promote spontaneous labor and prevent post-term pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMembrane sweeping is recommended to facilitate spontaneous labor, reduce the need for formal induction, and prevent post-term pregnancy. However, its overall effects on maternal and neonatal outcomes remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the impact of membrane sweeping in term pregnancy on maternal and neonatal outcomes.
methodsThe initial search was conducted through December 19, 2023, and an updated search extended the inclusion of publications to July 15, 2025. Study selection and data extraction were done independently by two researchers. The Cochrane risk of bias 2.0 tool was used to evaluate study quality. Data analysis was performed using R 4.5.0, calculating mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for continuous outcomes and relative risk (RR) for dichotomous outcomes. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on the timing and frequency of membrane sweeping. Meta-regression was applied to identify factors influencing results, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach was used to evaluate evidence certainty.
resultsThirty-four randomized controlled trials involving 6355 pregnant women were included. Meta-analyses indicated that membrane sweeping significantly promoted spontaneous labor (RR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.16, 1.41, I
conclusionsOur findings suggest that membrane sweeping may be an effective and relatively safe method for labor induction. Given the low certainty of the evidence, high-quality randomized controlled trials are urgently needed to corroborate these exploratory findings. REGISTRATION: CRD42023494189 (PROSPERO).
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