Studies have shown that almost a quarter of all term pregnant women have their labor induced, which often includes oxytocin simulation. This study aims to determine whether discontinuing the simulation of oxytocin in the active phase of labor is associated with reduced incidence of cesarian section.
This international, double-blind, multi-center, and randomized control trial included a total of 1,200 women stimulated with intravenous oxytocin stimulation during the latent phase of induced labor. The included women were randomly assigned to have their oxytocin stimulation discontinued or continued in the active phase of labor. The primary endpoint of the study was delivered by the cesarian section.
The findings suggested that the rate of the cesarian section in the discontinuation group was 16.6% compared to 14.2% in the continued group. Among women with no previous cesarian section, the cesarian section rate was 7.5% in the discontinuation group and 0.6% in the continuation group. Discontinuation was associated with a longer labor duration, a reduced hyperstimulation risk, and a reduced risk of fetal heart rate abnormalities compared to the continuation group. The rate of other adverse events was similar.
The research concluded that discontinuing oxytocin during labor could be associated with a slight increase in the cesarian section.
Ref: https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n716
