Should Pitocin Be Used to Start or Speed Up Labor?

Since the 1970s, pitocin has been a recognized as a safe way to start or augment (speed up) labor. A synthetic form of oxytocin, which is an active hormone in breastfeeding, orgasm and beginning labor, but extracted from the pituitary glands of cows, pitocin will cause uterine contractions to either begin in a non-laboring woman, or strengthen and increase contractions in a woman who is already in labor.

Labor inductions have been steadily climbing for several decades. Due to the increased use of medical intervention during labor, as well as the desire of mothers and doctors to have deliveries at convenient times, pitocin has become a factor in as many as 60% of labors.

Pitocin is an important drug when used correctly. If a woman's water has broken, but contractions do not ensue within 12 hours, it may be necessary to use pitocin to begin labor. If a baby is very large, due to gestational diabetes or some other medical factor, it may be in both the mother and baby's best interest to induce labor. But is the drug safe?

In the 1980s, Dr. Roberto Caldreyo-Barcia stated, "Pitocin is the most abused drug in the world today." He also added that he suspected pitocin was necessary for only about 3% of labors.

Though informed consent laws mandate that women be required to give consent prior to receiving medications during labor, doctors often do not advise women as to the many side effects of using pitocin. Elaine Stillerman, Licensed Medical Technician states,

"The natural rhythm of labor is supported by the release of oxytocin in bursts as needed, whereas pitocin is administered as a constant IV drip that confines most women to bed. This decreases their ability to control the escalating pain caused by drug-induced uterine activity, and laboring women are more likely to require pain medication that slows labor. Think of the dichotomy: pitocin is administered to speed up labor, but the increased level of pain requires medication that slows it down. In addition, pitocin often has no effect on cervical dilation even though the contractions are much stronger.

"Pitocin might cause a tumultuous, difficult labor and tetanic contractions, rupture of the uterus and dehiscence of a uterine scar, lacerations of the cervix, retained placenta or postpartum hemorrhage. Postpartum perineal and pelvic floor pain is increased as a result of augmented uterine contractions. Fetal complications might include fetal asphyxia and neonatal hypoxia, physical injury and neonatal jaundice. The use of pitocin also might be a factor in cerebral palsy from deprived oxygen and autism."

In short, pitocin is a direct contributor to more women needing an epidural, which increases risks of fetal distress, resulting in forceps deliveries, vacuum extraction or emergency C-section. Pitocin makes labor nearly unbearable, confining a woman to bed and making her and her baby endure a difficult labor for which neither of them was intended. Pitocin is responsible for some cases of birth trauma and has even been linked to autism. In fact, at a 1996 meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Eric Hollander of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York gave his theory on the pitocin-autism link. An observer noted:

"He put forward the idea that pitocin interferes with the newborn's oxytocin system that results in the social disabilities of autism. When he gave autistic children oxytocin, it made them four times more talkative and twice as happy, although some patients did not respond."

It is interesting to note that the national autism rate is 1 person per 100-200 persons. However, in a study of 15,000 babies delivered naturally by midwives, not one of those babies was found to develop autism in childhood. Note: See http://www.autismtoday.com/articles/ATTN_Researchers.htm for more information. Another interesting aspect of this discussion is that autism rates have soared over the last 20 years- the same length of time in which pitocin use has dramatically increased.

Furthermore, in 1974 it was established medical fact that pitocin failed in bringing about a speedy, safe delivery 40-50% of the time. In women who were unnaturally induced into labor, a significant minority of them will experience a medical birth simply because their bodies were not prepared to go into labor.

Women must educate themselves on the side-effects of pitocin before they go into labor or agree to an induction. Though a few women out of a hundred will have a legitimate reason for using pitocin, the vast majority will not. Seek out natural ways to begin labor, or, if you are not two weeks past your due date, assume that your baby, body and placenta are not yet ready for the birth and let your body go into labor on its own-the way it was intended to.