Manuscript Title:

EVENING PRIMROSE OIL: EFFECT ON LENGTH OF GESTATION AND PREGNANCY OUTCOMES IN LOW-RISK WOMEN

Author:

NAUSHIN FAROOQ, MISBAH HANIF, SABEEN ASLAM, QURRAT-UL-AIN, NAZIA SIRAJ, LAILA KHALID

DOI Number:

DOI:10.5281/zenodo.10217806

Published : 2023-11-23

About the author(s)

1. NAUSHIN FAROOQ - Consultant Surgeon Gynae & Obs, Federal Govt Polyclinic, Islamabad.
2. MISBAH HANIF - Assistant Professor, Gynae & Obs, Federal Govt Polyclinic, Islamabad.
3. SABEEN ASLAM - Assistant Professor, Gynae & Obs, Federal Govt Polyclinic, Islamabad.
4. QURRAT-UL-AIN - Assistant Professor, Gynae & Obs, Federal Govt Polyclinic, Islamabad.
5. NAZIA SIRAJ - Senior Registrar, Gynae & Obs, Federal Govt Polyclinic, Islamabad.
6. LAILA KHALID - Senior Registrar, Gynae & Obs, Federal Govt Polyclinic, Islamabad.

Full Text : PDF

Abstract

Objective: To determine effectiveness of evening primrose oil (EPO) on the duration of pregnancy outcomes in low-risk women. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Federal Government Services Hospital Islamabad. Women aged 18-40 years with singleton pregnancy, gestational age 37 to 40 years, low-risk pregnancies as defined by absence of significant medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, etc.), no history of preterm birth or other relevant complications in previous pregnancies and women who were willing to use evening primrose oil supplementation were included. Subjects were provided with standardized evening primrose oil supplements and instructions for proper usage and dosage were provided till delivery. The primary outcome was the length of pregnancy. All the data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 26. Results: A total of 46 were included in the study, with an average age of 30.85+4.09 years. 63.0% of the women had a gestational age of 37 weeks, while 37.0% had a gestational age of 38 weeks at the time of EPO administration. Out of all, (41.3%) womendelivered at 39 weeks, 30.4% delivered at 40 weeks, while 21.7% women gave birth at 38weeks and only 2 participants (4.3%) gave birth at 41 weeks. IOL was required in only 21.7% of the cases. 89.1% women gave birth through normal vaginal delivery (NVD), withonly a small number of women undergoing cesarean sections. Conclusion: The use of evening primrose oil presented significant advantages across pregnancy management. Positive effects encompassed shortened gestational duration, improved Bishop Scores, increased likelihood of spontaneous labor, and potential enhancements in overall pregnancy outcomes.


Keywords

EPO, effectiveness, outcomes, IOL, NVD, C-sections