Effects of intermittent and continuous injections of oxytocin on labor time and maternal and neonatal outcomes in normal delivery

Several studies have shown that long-term use of oxytocin for inducting or enhancing labor can reduce the efficacy of induction and increase the rate of complications. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of intermittent and continuous injection of oxytocin on labor time and maternal and neonatal outcomes in normal delivery.

In this study, 140 patients with an age range of at least 14 and a maximum of 40 years (mean 26.94) were studied. Patients received 10 units of oxytocin at 1000 cc of ringer, initiated at a dose of 2 mU/min, and 2 mU/min was increased every 15 minutes to achieve uterine contractions of 3 to 5 contractions in 10 minutes or a maximum dose of 23 mU/min. At the beginning of the active phase (dilatation 4 cm), the patients were divided into 2 groups. In one group, oxytocin continued until delivery, and in the other group at the beginning of the active phase, oxytocin was discontinued.

No significant differences were found between intermittent and continuous oxytocin injected groups in the duration of active phase and Apgar score, cesarean section, admission to NICU and postpartum fever. Also, there was no relationship between the incidence of abnormal heartbeat and postpartum hemorrhage the method of oxytocin admistration. Only the duration of labor in the intermittent group was significantly higher than the continuous infusion group.

This study demonstrates that continuous injections of oxytocin shorten the length of delivery, and consequently reduce the possible complications caused by prolonged time of injection.