Cervical Ripening as an Outpatient Method Using the Foley (COMFORT)

NCT ID: NCT05759988

Last Updated: 2025-09-10

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

2300 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-04-13

Study Completion Date

2027-06-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

A multicenter pragmatic randomized trial of nulliparous women undergoing a term (≥37 weeks) induction of labor wherein the provider intends to use a Foley catheter for cervical ripening. The investigators will be comparing outpatient cervical ripening with a Foley catheter to routine inpatient cervical ripening (Foley +/- other method). With this trial, the investigators aim to test our central hypothesis that outpatient Foley will decrease the primary Cesarean Delivery (CD) rate and risk of maternal/neonatal morbidity compared with inpatient cervical ripening.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Induction of Labor Affected Fetus / Newborn

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors
Outcome assessor will be blinded to the group allocation

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Outpatient cervical ripening with Foley

Cervical ripening will begin with a Foley balloon in the outpatient setting

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Outpatient Foley catheter

Intervention Type DEVICE

Outpatient Foley catheter placement for induction of labor

Standard of care Inpatient cervical ripening

Cervical ripening will begin in the inpatient setting with Foley ballooon or other cervical ripening agent

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Outpatient Foley catheter

Outpatient Foley catheter placement for induction of labor

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Eligible for induction of labor
* Live singleton gestation ≥37 weeks and \<42 weeks
* Nulliparous, ≥18 years of age with no previous deliveries \>20 weeks
* Cephalic presentation
* Intact membranes
* Bishop score ≤8 and cervical dilation \<3 cm
* English or Spanish speaking (Able to read/understand consent and instructions)
* Have reliable transportation to get back to the hospital and have a self-reported safe residence to go home to with the Foley catheter

Exclusion Criteria

* Known oligohydramnios (DVP \<2cm)
* Known moderate-severe polyhydramnios (AFI ≥30 at time of delivery)
* Concern regarding fetal status during antenatal testing: At provider discretion, but includes fetal decelerations, biophysical profile ≤6/10
* Vaginal bleeding or concern for/known abruption prior to Foley placement
* Chorioamnionitis
* Any fetal growth restriction
* Preeclampsia with severe features
* Severe chronic hypertension
* Type 1 diabetes or poorly controlled pre-gestational diabetes
* Sickle cell disease
* Major fetal anomaly
* Women on therapeutic anticoagulation
* Decreased fetal movement
* Maternal cardiac disease requiring telemetry monitoring throughout induction/labor course
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

University of Pennsylvania

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Lisa Levine

Associate Professor, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Lisa Levine, MD, MSCE

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pennsylvaina

Alison Cahill, MD, MSCI

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Texas at Austin

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Christiana Care Health Services, Inc.

Newark, Delaware, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Lisa Levine, MD, MSCE

Role: CONTACT

215-283-7373

Meaghan McCabe, MPH

Role: CONTACT

215-283-7373

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Carrie Kitto

Role: primary

Amy Staples

Role: backup

Naeemah Turner

Role: primary

Meaghan McCabe, MPH

Role: backup

Brooke lasher

Role: primary

Stephen Forsyth

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

851906

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Foley Catheter Induction
NCT05257187 WITHDRAWN NA
Outpatient Foley Cervix Priming
NCT02842879 COMPLETED NA