Score during pregnancy during normal vaginal delivery
Reading File
Which score do you mean?
- Bishop score - assesses cervical readiness/induction of labour
- Apgar score - assesses the newborn at 1 and 5 minutes after vaginal delivery
- Partograph - monitors progress of labour
- Other obstetric scores
Bishop score
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"Bishop Score"
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Bishop score cervical assessment induction labour ACOG
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https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/labor-induction
Bishop score
The Bishop score assesses how ready the cervix is for labour, mainly before induction of labour. It is not a score used to assess a completed normal vaginal delivery.
It is calculated by vaginal examination using five cervical findings. Total score: 0 to 13.
| Finding | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cervical dilatation | Closed | 1-2 cm | 3-4 cm | ≥5 cm |
| Cervical effacement | 0-30% | 40-50% | 60-70% | ≥80% |
| Fetal head station | -3 | -2 | -1 or 0 | +1 or +2 |
| Cervical consistency | Firm | Medium | Soft | - |
| Cervical position | Posterior | Mid-position | Anterior | - |
Interpretation
- Score ≤5 or <6: cervix is unfavourable or not yet ripe. Cervical ripening may be needed before induction.
- Score ≥6: increasingly favourable cervix and greater likelihood of successful induction/vaginal birth.
- Score ≥8-9: very favourable for induction.
The score reflects cervical softening, shortening (effacement), opening (dilatation), forward position, and descent of the presenting fetal head. ACOG guidance describes the scale as 0-13 and considers a score below 6 as indicating that the cervix may not be ready for labour. A family medicine textbook similarly states that a score of 9 or greater is favourable for induction (Textbook of Family Medicine 9e, induction of labor section).
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