An educational video's impact on the induction of labor experience: a randomized controlled trial

Is Oxytocin Administration During Childbirth Associated With Increased Risk for Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms?: A Preliminary Investigation

INTRODUCTION

Synthetic oxytocin is one of the most regularly administered medications to facilitate labor induction and augmentation. The present study examined the associations between oxytocin administration during childbirth and postpartum posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In a multicenter longitudinal study, women completed questionnaires during pregnancy and at 2 months postpartum ( N = 386). PTSS were assessed with the Impact of Event Scale. Logistic regression was used to examine the difference in PTSS at Time 2 between women who received oxytocin and women who did not.

RESULTS

In comparison with women who did not receive oxytocin, women who received oxytocin induction were 3.20 times as likely to report substantial PTSS ( P = .036, 95% confidence interval: 1.08-9.52), and women who received oxytocin augmentation were 3.29 times as likely to report substantial PTSS ( P = .036, 95% confidence interval: 1.08-10.03), after controlling for being primiparous, preeclampsia, prior mental health diagnosis, mode of birth, postpartum hemorrhage, and satisfaction with staff.

DISCUSSION

Oxytocin administration was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of PTSS. The findings may reflect biological and psychological mechanisms related to postpartum mental health and call for future research to establish the causation of this relationship.

Geburtseinleitung: Informationsvideo verbessert Zufriedenheit der Mütter

In den USA wird etwa jede 5. Geburt eingeleitet. Viele Mütter erleben den anschließenden Geburtsverlauf als negativ. Ein Grund hierfür ist, dass die Frauen im Vorfeld nicht ausreichend über die Einleitung aufgeklärt wurden. Ob ein kurzes Informationsvideo diesbezüglich hilfreich ist und ob es sich möglicherweise auch günstig auf die Zufriedenheit der Mütter mit dem Geburtserlebnis auswirkt, untersuchte ein US-Forscherteam.