Pitocin (pit-oh-sin) is a drug administered via IV or injection. It is typically given to a pregnant woman for one of two reasons: 1. Her labor has 'stalled' and she is no longer progressing, 2. She is being induced because labor has not yet started on its own.
Pitocin is a man-made form of the hormone oxytocin. Its purpose is to cause the uterus to contract, dialate a woman's cervix, and ultimately cause birth. It is also used if a woman begins hemorrhaging after giving birth to stop the bleeding.
If pitocin is delivered to a pregnant woman in dosages that deliver contractions stronger or more frequent than what the unborn baby is able to handle, the baby may go into a state of fetal distress (irregular fetal heartbeat). Fetal distress accounts for 9% of all c-sections in the United States.
The following quote is taken from an article published by Massage Today. The Truth About Pitocin, by Elaine Stillerman, LMT, March 2006:
"Pitocin was first synthesized in 1953, and became available for use two years later. By 1974, it was an established medical fact that its failure rate was 40% to 50%. In 1978, an FDA advisory committee removed its approval of pitocin for the elective induction of labor. Interestingly, the drug never was approved by the FDA for use in augmenting labor."
i didn't know that!
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