Texas Rally Offers Empowering Information for Expecting Women

A Texas Rally held earlier this month encouraged expectant women to gather their facts before determining the best course of labor and delivery for them and their children. The rally, held by the non-profit Improving Birth, offered information and resources to women that are expecting. The purpose is to empower women to make the right choices during their pregnancy and childbirth experiences to provide the birth process that worked best for them and their children.

Use of Pitocin to induce labor was one of the topics discussed at the Improving Birth rally. Pitocin is a synthetic version of the protein oxytocin, which is produced by the pituitary gland to stimulate uterine contractions. It is primarily used for inducing or augment labor, although it can also be prescribed for bleeding after childbirth.

While Pitocin has been prescribed for many years as a means of accelerating the childbirth process, concerns over Pitocin-related birth injuries have led many to question its use.

Risks of stimulating labor

While concerns over the safety of Pitocin have been simmering for some time, a May 2013 study was the first of its kind to examine the risks of Pitocin on the unborn fetus. The study, conducted by researchers at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, was a retrospective look at more than 3,000 women that delivered full-term between 2009 and 2011. Using the Adverse Outcome Index, researchers were able to assess the initial condition of babies born to mothers that were given Pitocin during their labors.

The study found that Pitocin administered during labor was a factor in babies unexpectedly admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for 24 hours or longer after birth. It also correlated with Apgar scores of seven or lower within the first five minutes after birth. Apgar scores are used to assess the condition of an infant one minute and five minutes after birth. A score of seven or lower indicates the baby is not in good health at the time of birth.

Another study published in October 2013 found that inducing or augmenting labor using Pitocin or other means may also increase a child’s risk for autism. This study examined birth records of more than 600,000 children born in North Carolina between 1990 and 1998. The study found that boys born to mothers who had labor induced had a 35 percent higher risk for developing autism. That risk was not seen in girls born to mothers that had induced labor.

Pitocin dangers and complications

Pitocin, which was once limited to use in cases where it was essential to the health of the mother or child, is being used increasingly for non-medical reasons. As use of the drug has increased, so has concerns over its safety. In addition to the studies listed above, Pitocin use during labor has been associated with increased blood pressure and heart rate of both the mother and baby.

In some cases, parents of injured children have filed birth injury lawsuits against hospitals and medical personnel, claiming they were not informed of the risks associated with Pitocin when it was administered during childbirth. Lawsuits also allege use of Pitocin during labor led to severe complications of both mother and child, which could have been avoided if Pitocin had not been administered.

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