Corina Schoen, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, published original research entitled “Blown out of proportion? Induction Foley balloon ruptures associated with overinflation” in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology MFM in August 2019. In the study, investigators disseminated knowledge about a commonly employed means of labor induction and the safety issues that may be encountered. The Foley catheter is a non-FDA approved method to prepare the cervix for labor; there is evidence showing it is one of the safest ways to start the labor process. It is not uncommon for balloons to be over-inflated beyond the manufacturer recommendations. The chance of a balloon rupture with over-inflation is about 1%. Women being induced at Baystate Medical Center now receive larger volume catheters that can be filled to 80 mL – a safer way to induce labor.
Citation: Schoen CN, Keefe KW, Berghella V, Sciscione A, Pettker CM. Blown out of proportion? Induction Foley balloon ruptures associated with over-inflation. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2019;1:100026