Study Finds No Link Between Pitocin and ADHD

A recent study of approximately 550,000 babies born in Denmark between 2000 and 2008 suggests that there is no link between the use of the drug Pitocin to induce labor and the later development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in babies born as a result.

Concerns were first raised in 2011 when a smaller study published that year seemed to present a higher incidence of later ADHD development in the 88 children born through Pitocin-induced labor in comparison to 84 control subjects. However, the recent 2015 study, which is much more extensive, seems to allay such concerns.

The later development of ADHD is just one of the many possible risks that has been debated in connection to Pitocin, the brand name of the hormone oxytocin, which is widely used in the United States to induce labor after a gestation period of 41 weeks or augment labor. Another possible risk that has been suggested is the development of various autism spectrum disorders, a connection which the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists argued against in 2014.

Risks of Pitocin and fetal harm

Some studies estimate that Pitocin is used during approximately 50% of births in the United States today. Pitocin is not indicated under a number of circumstances, including if the mother’s birth canal is small compared to the fetus’ head, if the fetus is in a difficult position, or if there are indications of fetal distress. A Pitocin birth injury could result from the improper administration of the drug under these circumstances.

A study presented at the annual clinical meeting of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 2013, which surveyed records of over 3,000 women who gave birth to babies at Beth Israel Hospital between 2009 and 2011 found that Pitocin was a risk factor for admission to the NICU or for lower APGAR scores at the time of birth. The precise nature of the link was debated however, as other specialists pointed out that both factors could have been the result of a problem with labor that Pitocin was used to address rather than a direct result of Pitocin administration.

Others have argued that a birth injury resulting in brain damage, cerebral palsy, or stillbirth could be the result of Pitocin use due to the fact that the synthetic hormone can block the blood supply and, with it, the delivery of oxygen to the uterus and thus to the fetus.

Lawsuits alleging Pitocin-induced birth injuries

Some recent lawsuits have alleged that negligent use of Pitocin has resulted in various kinds of birth injuries in babies born during induced or augmented labor. For instance, the State of Iowa agreed to pay a $3.75 million birth injury settlement to a woman whose child was born with brain injuries following a lengthy Pitocin-induced labor. The hospital in question argued that the injuries related to other factors, but settled out of court to avoid a lengthy legal battle.

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