Balloon Dilators for Labor Induction: a Historical Review
Abstract
A number of recent articles attribute the origin of the use of cervical balloon dilation in the induction of labor to either Barnes in the 1860s or Embrey and Mollison in the 1960s. This review examines the historical record and reveals that, based on current practice attribution should rather be made to two contemporaries of Barnes: the Storer and Mattei. More importantly, Storer’s warning about the rubber used in dilators was ignored, leading to decades of possibly unnecessary deaths following childbirth. To conduct this study key search terms for PubMed,
Google Scholar and the website of the University of Ryerson were utilized as “Barnes”, “Woodman”, “balloon dilation”, “balloon catheter”, “foley”, “colpeurynter”, “cervix uteri” and “induction.” Subsequent analysis was done on downloaded articles using BibDesk.
1. Woodman WB. Induction of labour at the eighth month, and delivery of a living child in less than four hours by Dr. Barnes’s Method. Lancet 1863;1(2053):10–11.
2. Embrey MP, Mollison BG. The unfavorable cervix and induction of labour using a cervical balloon. Int J Obstet Gynaec 1967; 74(1): 44–48.
3. Storer HR. On an uterine dilator. Med Times Gazette 1859; 19: 388.
4. Alpin P. La Médecine des Egyptiens, vol. 1. La Collection des Voyageurs Occidentaux en Egypte. Paris: Institut français d’Archéologie Orientale; 1980. [in rench]
5. Bromfeild W. Chirurgical Observations and Cases. England: T. Cadell; 1773.
6. Murray JJ. Placenta Praevia – air-Pessary used to plug and dilate the Os uteri. Med Times Gazette 1859; 18: 596 – 7.
7. Chiari J, Braun C, Spaeth J. Klinik der Geburtshilfe und Gynaekologie. Ealangen: Verlag von Ferdinand Enke; 1855. [InGerman]
8. Mattei A. Essai sur l’accouchement physiologique. Paris: Victor Masson; 1855. [in French]
9. Keiller A. Air-dilators and plugs in obstetrics practice. Med Times Gazette 1859; 18: 639.
10. Storer HR. The uterine dilator. Am J Med Sci 1859; 38(75):107–113.
11. Barnes R, Barnes F. A system of obstetric medicine and surgery: theoretical and clinical. London: Smith, Elder & Co; 1885, vol 2.
12. Galante H. De l’emploi du caoutchouc vulcanisé dans la thérapeutique médico-chirurgicale. Paris: Bailliere; 1869. [In French]
13. Corner FM. On a case of induction of premature labour by Dr. Barnes’s method. Lancet 1863; 81(2057):115–16.
14. Joulin M. Traité complet d’accouchements. Paris: F. Savy; 1867. [In French]
15. Veyre JF, Laumosne J, Mavel A, Feldman JP, Pelikan P, Michiels Y. Le ballon de Boissard: antiquité ou moyen moderne de déclenchement. Rev Franç Gynéc1974; 69(10): 535– 9. [In French]
16. Duchatel F. Evolution des méthodes actuelles de déclenchement du travail. Hist Sci Méd 1996; 30(2): 251–7. [In French]
17. Madden AL. The voorhees bag in the induction of labor, a criticism. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1926; 12: 875–9.
18. Waters EG. The dilating bag in obstetrics. Its use, abuse and hazards. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1938; 36(4): 639–47.
19. Moleti CA. Trends and controversies in labor Induction. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs 2009; 34(1): 40–7.
20. Atad J, Bornstein J, Calderon I, Petrikovsky BM, Sorokin Y, Abramovici H. Nonpharmaceutical ripening of the unfavorable cervix and induction of labor by a novel double balloon device. Obstet Gynecol 1991; 77(1): 146–52.
21. Anonymous. Robert Barnes, M.D. (obituary). BJOG 1907; 11(6): 519-522.
22. Calder AA. Cervical ripening; physiology and therapy. J Obstet Gynaecol 1988; 8(s1): S2–S6.
23. Sherman DJ, Frenkel E, Tovbin J, Arieli S, Caspi E, Bukovsky I. Ripening of the unfavorable cervix with extraamniotic catheter balloon: clinical experience and review. Obstet Gynecol Surv 1996; 51(10): 621–7.
24. Lewis S, Collins M. Induction of Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Using Intracervical Foley Bulb. J Midwifery Womens Health 2008; 53(6): 565–6.
25. Foley FEB. A hemostatic bag catheter - a one piece latex rubber structure for control of bleeding and constant drainage following prostatic resection. J Urol 1937; 38(1):134–139.
26. Bani-Irshaid I, Athamneh TZ, Bani-Khaled D, Al-Momani M, Dahamsheh H. Termination of second and early third trimester pregnancy: comparison of 3 methods. East Mediterr Health J 2006; 12(5): 605–9.
27. Lurie S, Rabinerson D. Balloon ripening of the cervix. Lancet 1997; 349(9050): 509.
28. Mozurkewich E. Commentary on Foley catheter insertion for preinduction cervical ripening was faster and more efficacious than prostaglandin E2 gel. Evidence-based Obstet Gynaecol 2000; 2(2): 41.
29. Guinn DA, Goepfert AR, Christine M, Owen J, Hauth JC. Extra-amniotic saline, laminaria, or prostaglandin E(2) gel for labor induction with unfavorable cervix: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol 2000; 96(1): 106–12.
30. Guinn DA, Davies JK, Jones RO, Sullivan L, Wolf D. Labor induction in women with an unfavorable Bishop score: randomized controlled trial of intrauterine Foley catheter with concurrent oxytocin infusion versus Foley catheter with extra-amniotic saline infusion with concurrent oxytocin infusion. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004; 191(1): 225–9.
31. Pettker CM, Pocock SB, Smok DP, Lee SM, Devine PC. Transcervical Foley catheter with and without oxytocin for cervical ripening: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol 2008; 111(6): 1320–6.
32. Williamson H. The induction of premature labour. J Obstet Gynaecol 1905; 8(4): 252–71.
33. Hibbard BM. The obstetrician’s armamentarium: historical obstetric instruments and their inventors. California: Norman Publishing; 2000.
34. Gariel MM. Medico-Chirugical Uses of Vulcanised India-Rubber. Translated by Murray JJ. Medical Times and Gazette1859; 40(1033 (New Series No 472): 64–66.
35. Barnes R. On the indications and operations for the induction of premature labour and for the acceleration of labour. In Obstetrical Society of London, Transactions of the Obstetrical Society of London. London: Longmans, Green and Co; 1861; 3:107-141.
36. Tenore JL. Methods for cervical ripening and induction of labor. Am Fam Physician 2003; 67(10): 2123–8.
2. Embrey MP, Mollison BG. The unfavorable cervix and induction of labour using a cervical balloon. Int J Obstet Gynaec 1967; 74(1): 44–48.
3. Storer HR. On an uterine dilator. Med Times Gazette 1859; 19: 388.
4. Alpin P. La Médecine des Egyptiens, vol. 1. La Collection des Voyageurs Occidentaux en Egypte. Paris: Institut français d’Archéologie Orientale; 1980. [in rench]
5. Bromfeild W. Chirurgical Observations and Cases. England: T. Cadell; 1773.
6. Murray JJ. Placenta Praevia – air-Pessary used to plug and dilate the Os uteri. Med Times Gazette 1859; 18: 596 – 7.
7. Chiari J, Braun C, Spaeth J. Klinik der Geburtshilfe und Gynaekologie. Ealangen: Verlag von Ferdinand Enke; 1855. [InGerman]
8. Mattei A. Essai sur l’accouchement physiologique. Paris: Victor Masson; 1855. [in French]
9. Keiller A. Air-dilators and plugs in obstetrics practice. Med Times Gazette 1859; 18: 639.
10. Storer HR. The uterine dilator. Am J Med Sci 1859; 38(75):107–113.
11. Barnes R, Barnes F. A system of obstetric medicine and surgery: theoretical and clinical. London: Smith, Elder & Co; 1885, vol 2.
12. Galante H. De l’emploi du caoutchouc vulcanisé dans la thérapeutique médico-chirurgicale. Paris: Bailliere; 1869. [In French]
13. Corner FM. On a case of induction of premature labour by Dr. Barnes’s method. Lancet 1863; 81(2057):115–16.
14. Joulin M. Traité complet d’accouchements. Paris: F. Savy; 1867. [In French]
15. Veyre JF, Laumosne J, Mavel A, Feldman JP, Pelikan P, Michiels Y. Le ballon de Boissard: antiquité ou moyen moderne de déclenchement. Rev Franç Gynéc1974; 69(10): 535– 9. [In French]
16. Duchatel F. Evolution des méthodes actuelles de déclenchement du travail. Hist Sci Méd 1996; 30(2): 251–7. [In French]
17. Madden AL. The voorhees bag in the induction of labor, a criticism. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1926; 12: 875–9.
18. Waters EG. The dilating bag in obstetrics. Its use, abuse and hazards. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1938; 36(4): 639–47.
19. Moleti CA. Trends and controversies in labor Induction. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs 2009; 34(1): 40–7.
20. Atad J, Bornstein J, Calderon I, Petrikovsky BM, Sorokin Y, Abramovici H. Nonpharmaceutical ripening of the unfavorable cervix and induction of labor by a novel double balloon device. Obstet Gynecol 1991; 77(1): 146–52.
21. Anonymous. Robert Barnes, M.D. (obituary). BJOG 1907; 11(6): 519-522.
22. Calder AA. Cervical ripening; physiology and therapy. J Obstet Gynaecol 1988; 8(s1): S2–S6.
23. Sherman DJ, Frenkel E, Tovbin J, Arieli S, Caspi E, Bukovsky I. Ripening of the unfavorable cervix with extraamniotic catheter balloon: clinical experience and review. Obstet Gynecol Surv 1996; 51(10): 621–7.
24. Lewis S, Collins M. Induction of Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Using Intracervical Foley Bulb. J Midwifery Womens Health 2008; 53(6): 565–6.
25. Foley FEB. A hemostatic bag catheter - a one piece latex rubber structure for control of bleeding and constant drainage following prostatic resection. J Urol 1937; 38(1):134–139.
26. Bani-Irshaid I, Athamneh TZ, Bani-Khaled D, Al-Momani M, Dahamsheh H. Termination of second and early third trimester pregnancy: comparison of 3 methods. East Mediterr Health J 2006; 12(5): 605–9.
27. Lurie S, Rabinerson D. Balloon ripening of the cervix. Lancet 1997; 349(9050): 509.
28. Mozurkewich E. Commentary on Foley catheter insertion for preinduction cervical ripening was faster and more efficacious than prostaglandin E2 gel. Evidence-based Obstet Gynaecol 2000; 2(2): 41.
29. Guinn DA, Goepfert AR, Christine M, Owen J, Hauth JC. Extra-amniotic saline, laminaria, or prostaglandin E(2) gel for labor induction with unfavorable cervix: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol 2000; 96(1): 106–12.
30. Guinn DA, Davies JK, Jones RO, Sullivan L, Wolf D. Labor induction in women with an unfavorable Bishop score: randomized controlled trial of intrauterine Foley catheter with concurrent oxytocin infusion versus Foley catheter with extra-amniotic saline infusion with concurrent oxytocin infusion. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004; 191(1): 225–9.
31. Pettker CM, Pocock SB, Smok DP, Lee SM, Devine PC. Transcervical Foley catheter with and without oxytocin for cervical ripening: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol 2008; 111(6): 1320–6.
32. Williamson H. The induction of premature labour. J Obstet Gynaecol 1905; 8(4): 252–71.
33. Hibbard BM. The obstetrician’s armamentarium: historical obstetric instruments and their inventors. California: Norman Publishing; 2000.
34. Gariel MM. Medico-Chirugical Uses of Vulcanised India-Rubber. Translated by Murray JJ. Medical Times and Gazette1859; 40(1033 (New Series No 472): 64–66.
35. Barnes R. On the indications and operations for the induction of premature labour and for the acceleration of labour. In Obstetrical Society of London, Transactions of the Obstetrical Society of London. London: Longmans, Green and Co; 1861; 3:107-141.
36. Tenore JL. Methods for cervical ripening and induction of labor. Am Fam Physician 2003; 67(10): 2123–8.
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| Issue | Vol 6 (2013) | |
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| Keywords | ||
| balloon dilation cervical dilation foley catheter hydrostatic dilator induction of labor | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Smith JA. Balloon Dilators for Labor Induction: a Historical Review. J Med Ethics Hist Med. 2013;6:10.
