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Calculator · Cervical favourability before induction
Bishop score
How ready the cervix is for induction, from a vaginal examination. A higher score means a shorter induction and a lower chance of it failing.
What it asks
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Cervical dilatation | Closed — 0 1 – 2 cm — 1 3 – 4 cm — 2 5 cm or more — 3 |
| Effacement | 0 – 30% — 0 40 – 50% — 1 60 – 70% — 2 80% or more — 3 |
| Station of the presenting part | Minus 3 — 0 Minus 2 — 1 Minus 1, or 0 — 2 Plus 1, or plus 2 — 3 |
| Cervical consistency | Firm — 0 Medium — 1 Soft — 2 |
| Cervical position | Posterior — 0 Mid-position — 1 Anterior — 2 |
How to read the score
| Score | Means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5 | Unfavourable | Cervical ripening is usually needed first — vaginal prostaglandin or a balloon catheter, depending on the unit and the indication. |
| 6–7 | Intermediate | The grey zone, and where practice varies most. Some units proceed to amniotomy in a multiparous woman at 6. |
| 8–13 | Favourable | Induction is likely to succeed, and amniotomy with oxytocin is usually reasonable. |
Before you use it
A midwifery or obstetric decision, not an F1 one — this is here so the number in the notes means something to you, not so you can act on it. The threshold for favourable is conventionally 8 but is often taken as 6 in multiparous women, and units differ. Parity, gestation and the indication for induction all matter more than the score, and some units record only a MODIFIED Bishop score of dilatation, effacement and station.
Source: Bishop, Obstet Gynecol 1964; NICE NG207 inducing labour
Checked, and shown
Every threshold on this page was checked against its primary source by a practising doctor. Here is what that involved, and what it found.