Laminaria tents

Jain JK, Mishell DR Jr. A comparison of misoprostol with and without laminaria tents for induction of second-trimester abortion. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1996 175(1) 173—7. 

A 32-year-old woman in her 25th week of gestation was hospitalized for endouterine fetal death (6). She had had two previous cesarean sections. Cervical dilatation was induced with a Hagar dilator and laminaria tents, and sudden spontaneous and strong contractions led to uterine rupture. 

Cervical ripening is also accomplished in nonpharmacologic ways such as slow dilation of the cervix with an intracervical Foley catheter balloon or with laminaria tents. The laminaria are composed of seaweed and, as they absorb the fluid from the vagina and surrounding tissues, slowly expand over time. They are used more commonly in preparing the cervix for abortion than induction of labor. Acupuncture also has been cited in both cervical ripening and labor induction. 

Sections of kelp stems (known as laminaria tents) are used to dilate the cervix to induce labor or for surgical procedures including abortions (Boulvain et al. 2001). For use in this manner, the stem sections are inserted into the cervix. Safety of that use of kelp is not covered in this entry. 

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