Pitocin’s untold impact
Michel Odent, MD, founder of the Primal Health Research Centre, has spent decades studying the “primal period.” Odent defines the primal period—prenatal, birth, and the first year of life—as the time “when the basic adaptive systems—those involved in what we commonly call health—reach their maturity” (Source). Today’s Midwifery Today E-News shared a quote from Odent about synthetic oxytocin [Pitocin] and the potentially detrimental impact it can have on a fetus’s oxytocin receptors. Here’s an excerpt:
80% of the blood reaching the fetus via the umbilical vein goes directly to the inferior vena cava via the ductus venosus, bypassing the liver, and therefore immediately reaching the brain: it is all the more direct since the shunts (foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus) are not yet closed. . . . Furthermore, it appears that the permeability of the blood-brain barrier can increase in situations of oxidative stress—a situation that is common when drips of synthetic oxytocin are used during labor. We have, therefore, serious reasons to be concerned if we take into account the widely documented concept of “oxytocin-induced desensitization of the oxytocin receptors.” In other words, it is probable that, at a quasi-global level, we routinely interfere with the development of the oxytocin system of human beings at a critical phase for gene-environment interaction.
Oxytocin is the hormone of love and bonding and human connection. If the oxytocin system is damaged, or a child’s oxytocin receptors become desensitized, the ramifications are huge. As more and more scientists study oxytocin’s impact, we can see how crucial our body’s oxytocin systems can be for human life, love, and happiness.
Animal research suggests that oxytocin is one of our mind and body’s best defenses against stress, anxiety, and depression:
In a study presented at the 2007 Society for Neuroscience meeting, Grippo, Porges and Carter compared the stress reactions of female prairie voles living for four weeks either in isolation or with a female sibling and found greater levels of stress, behavioral anxiety and depression in those separated from their siblings. The team then gave the animals either oxytocin or saline every day during the last two weeks of the four-week period. The isolated animals treated with oxytocin no longer showed signs of depression, anxiety or cardiac stress. By contrast, oxytocin had no measurable effects on those paired with siblings, suggesting that “the effects of oxytocin are most apparent under stressful conditions,” Carter says. (Tori DeAngelis, “The two faces of oxytocin“)
If Michel Odent is right about prolonged Pitocin exposure desensitizing a fetus’s oxytocin receptors, then it’s possible that these children will grow up with impaired abilities to cope with stress, leading to higher rates of depression and anxiety.
Other research indicates that induction (and cesarean births) may lead to a higher incidence of autism:
A 2004 study out of Australia found that autistic children were twice as likely to have been born without natural labor, either by elective cesarean or induction. (Jennifer Block, Pushed, p. 139)
And that oxytocin administration benefits autistic individuals:
[P]sychiatrist Eric Hollander, MD, of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and colleagues found that adults diagnosed with autism or Asperger’s disorder who received oxytocin injections showed an improved ability to identify emotional content on a speech comprehension task, while those on a placebo did not. (Tori DeAngelis, “The two faces of oxytocin“)
There are implications for drug addiction as well:
In rats, intravenous self-administration of heroin was potently decreased by [oxytocin] treatment. . . . [Oxytocin] receptors in the [central nervous system]–mainly those located in limbic and basal forebrain structures–are responsible for mediating various effects of [oxytocin] in the opiate- and cocaine-addicted organism. (Kovacs GL, Sarnyai Z, Szabo G, Oxytocin and addiction: a review)
Someone close to me was on Prozac several years ago. He told me that, while it reduced his depression, it also reduced his ability to feel any and all emotions. He felt nothing. Empty. From what I understand, his experience is not uncommon. Perhaps it’s because Prozac (fluoxetine) seems to “inhibit the action of oxytocin” (Cantor JM, Binik YM, Pfaus JG, Chronic fluoxetine inhibits sexual behavior in the male rat: reversal with oxytocin). Could that empty emotional void be what it feels like to live as a child whose oxytocin receptors were damaged at birth?
And I haven’t even touched yet on the other potential negative effects of Pitocin. All this from a drug used daily to induce labor for doctor or patient convenience (a use for which it has not been approved by the FDA) and far too often for less-than-concrete “medical” reasons. Jennifer Block shared these eye-opening statements in Pushed:
A recent ACOG survey found that in 43% of malpractice suits involving neurologically impaired babies, Pitocin was to blame. (p. 137)
Even Williams Obstetrics offers a sobering history: “Oxytocin is a powerful drug, and it has killed or maimed mothers through rupture of the uterus and even more babies through hypoxia from markedly hypertonic uterine contractions.” (p. 138)
The truth is that we really don’t know all the ways synthetic oxytocin might be affecting our children (or ourselves as mothers). There are certainly situations where Pitocin use is warranted and acceptable, but those cases are far less common than current use would suggest. Without a doubt our society has a Pitocin abuse problem. How many women do you know who have been given Pitocin? How many of them do you think are aware of the potential problems associated with that drug? I have a feeling that future generations, after further inquiry and research, will end the rampant use of Pitocin (and the atrocious practice of “Pit to distress,” see here and here). But I fear what damage may be done in the meantime.
Related posts:
http://ponderingthings.wordpress.com/2011/04/10/because-it-needs-to-be-shared/
Thank you for sharing this. I was induced the first time and it’s what inspired me to LEARN about birth and breast feeding and to make informed choices. I wish it hadn’t taken a bad experience to get me to pay attention.
I hope I am linking back to you properly. I am new at this! :)
My three year old was not induced, my six month old was (due to extreme pregnancy related hypertension).
My three year old has borderline autism, my six month old is, so far, a much more social infant than his brother was.
I think some focused studies would be necessary before we can draw any firm conclusions about there being any long term effects from pitocin used in induction.
!!! I knew there was a reason I didn’t want drugs lol! I am kind of ashamed to say I didn’t do a lot of research to understand why drugs in labor were bad, I just knew that I didn’t want them!
Thanks for filling in the gaps Birth Faith!
Tracy,
The title itself is implicating pitocin in causing impact on babies. What is Birth Faith saying if she is not saying that pitocin is harmful? I don’t think she is trying to make the point that it’s all lollipops and sunshine.
I am not sure what would make anyone who was actually “scholarly” squirm about the amount of quoted studies in this “informative” blog post. It takes qualitative data and tries to make parallels and draw conclusions that the facts simply cannot support. You can pick and choose data from anywhere and paint a potrait of gloom and doom, but it means nothing and has no scientific data, impact, or ramifications.
I agree that women should be educated and informed about the potential risks and benefits of any medications they are administered while pregnant. They are responsible for the well-being of themselves and their children and should most definitely ask their health care providers questions. I agree that pitocin can be misused, but, when used appropriately, it is a wonderful, life-saving medication that helps babies be born safely in situations where they might otherwise not be.
What I disagree with is women that were FORTUNATE enough not to need these interventions judging and scaring other women who did or making them scared of having done so. Many women walk away from their birth experiences feeling as if they (and their bodies) let down their children. This type of information just adds to that guilt and concern.
SCARING people, LYING to them, and MISUSING scientific data is NOT informing women. It reminds me of the vaccination/autism debacle. Now children aren’t getting the vaccinations they need, and all because of misinformation, bad data, and flat out untruths. It will take YEARS to undo the damage that one medical professional caused with his faulty science. Fortunately, I don’t think that Birth Faith has that type of platform.
So, Outraged, what I have gathered from your comment is that lying to people and scaring them in order to get them to believe in a particular brand of scientific understanding is bad. Why then do some medical professionals use this tactic to get patients to submit to procedures without explanation? Many of the comments left on this post describe birth experiences where a medical professional administered a specific intervention (pitocin) without explaining any ill-effects it may have. Some of these people were scared into the intervention.
Is it only OK for medical professionals to scare people into decisions with questionable benefit then?
All I read from Birth Faith’s post was a correlation between autism and pitocin use in labor. Correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation. The mothers who receive pitocin may have other lifestyle factors that also contribute. A high percentage of them may also have certain genetic factors. We don’t know. That isn’t what Birth Faith was exploring. There are a plethora of other variables to consider, but the title of the post isn’t “The Cause of Autism.” She only alludes to the idea that pitocin use in labor may play a role, and for that reason, we should avoid elective inductions and stick to those where the benefits outweigh the risks.
It sounds to me like you don’t want women questioning whether the benefits of labor induction or augmentation outweigh the risks those interventions may pose. Informed consent means that women need to be informed about all of the risks and benefits before they give consent. Only too often, it becomes the doctor informing his patient that she will be giving consent to a particular procedure, regardless of how she feels about it, because he said it was best.
My point exactly. Thank you for sharing this. How many times have we had our doctors tell us that there are no side effects to a prescribed pharmaceutical, but then get a completely different story when reading the fine print that comes with that same “medicine”. Even if the side effects occur rarely, most patients still want to consider the possibility. There’s nothing wrong with choosing to take one’s chances without pharmaceuticals, instead of taking the risk with it.
Furthermore, the medical professions blind belief in the safety and efficacy of vaccinations is not enough valid logical proof for those of us that watched our children regress in development, develop weeping sores over their entire body, start having non-stop screaming fits, or loss the ability to walk forward or finish a sentence without flinching directly after the administration of said childhood or seasonal flu “shots”. When a person develops complications or dies within a week of receiving the HPV vaccination, the medical professions does not recognize the vaccination as having any possible responsibility in the matter. The timing of these cases is simply too coincidental for logical individuals to carry on with “blind faith”.
I can think of at least 10 highly trained medical professionals who hav come to the conclusion that vaccinations are not as safe as the pharmaceutical companies and doctors administering them would have all of us believe. All of the ad campaigns in the world are not going to change that fact. Furthermore, we don’t need a medical degree to accept reality. In fact, the opposite appears to be the case.
Oh, boy. Joanne, I don’t even know where to begin with this one. I know that no matter what I put, you will not listen to reason, but perhaps someone else reading it will.
Okay. The “fine print” is called the “package insert.” It is in small font because of ALL the information that is available to the educated patient. All of the studies, scientific fact, and data is there, in black and white. The good, the bad, the ugly, “BLACK BOX” warning is all there for you to read.
And. . . vaccines. No one ever said that vaccines are 100% safe. No one. If a medical professional says that there aren’t any risks, then get thee to a new doctor. HOWEVER, the benefits outweigh the risks. It is awful, terrible, and a TRAGEDY when a child suffers as a result of a vaccination. My heart BREAKS for those children and their families. Please do not misunderstand me. But most children aren’t going to have that reaction. They just aren’t. And I didn’t talk about the other things you mentioned, just the autism debacle which has been PROVEN now to be a bunch of made up crap from a doctor who just wanted to make money.
Finally. . . really? You can think of 10 medical professionals that think vaccinations are unsafe? Well, that an a quarter will buy you. . . nothing. I can think of 10 THOUSAND, 10 MILLION that will tell you the opposite. And I’m sure you could rally ten thousand of your own. But when it comes down to data, statistics, and the FACTS, these things simply aren’t happening on a widespread basis. No one says they are 100% reliably safe, but what isn’t called into question is that they SAVE LIVES. And the ad campaigns don’t change that, the DATA does.
Which brings me to my original point: the DATA, people. The FACTS. Let’s stick to those. Show me a large volume (N of thousands) randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled HUMAN study published in a reputable scientific journal OR a large volume (N of hundreds of thousands) retrospective HUMAN study from a respected scientific journal that isn’t retracted in two years, that PROVES that Pitocin causes these problems, and I will come back here and apologize profusely to all of you.
When the weeping painful extremely itchy sores developed over my nephew’s entire body within days of his vaccinations and my son stopped talking to us within weeks of his last set of multiple vaccinations, it does not feel that side effects are rare. Our own MD’s step-son developed the incessant screaming. I don’t believe that vaccinations are the only cause for these symptoms. However it does appear that they could quite possibly be sending patients “over the edge” more than those writing and reading scientific journals realize. Most of these cases go unreported and unrecognized by anyone of “importance” that you’re referring to. My pediatrician was one that would not entertain any thoughts of these shots not being 100% safe. At least she wouldn’t admit it to me, when I expressed concerns. In due time, we stopped utilizing her services. The MD that we see now (mentioned above) is fully aware of the lack of safety in vaccinations. He maps out a revised schedule with accommodations for various concerns. He prescribed a Detoxigenomic Profile for Joey, which showed he has genetic polymorphisms that predispose him to having problems with detoxing various chemicals (including pharamceuticals and fluorocarbons). It would be nice if parents could be made aware of these tests before the vaccinations are suggested.
Regarding Dr. Norm Wakefield and the efficacy of vaccinations, I’m not goint to even bother arguing with you. The stories that you read and the stories that I read are vastly contradictory. I’ve seen many of both. It’s completely a matter of “who to believe”? Because I’ve heard both sides, I believe clues tend to surface that quite possibly point to the truth. In short, I am not completely convinced that side effects for vaccinations or any other pharmaceutical for that matter are as rare as the medical and pharmaceutical industries will admit. It’s also quite possible that they simply don’t realize and are ignorant of complications. As I stated above, most patients and parents are not turning to their MDs for help in reversing the effects. We simply leave their care and get busy finding help from those that produce results for us. “Alternative medicine” wouldn’t be thriving if it did not produce results and if there were no need for it’s services.
Sorry I don’t have time to proofread this, but this conversation is quite important and worth having despite the type-o’s.
Respectfully Yours, Joanne Laufenberg
I wonder if you think it is a scare tactic or a lie when I tell you that my daughter died due to my pitocin induction. I have to live everyday without my beautiful baby because we are not told the whole truth. So if you personaly want to risk your childrens health or life that is your own business but women should be informed of ALL of the risks including fetal death!
Mama to Aine Rose born sleeping 9/7/10
I am sorry for your loss. No one should ever have to experience the loss of a child.
Scary things can happen during childbirth and I would be an idiot to deny that women and children can have adverse effects from a medication and/or procedure. HOWEVER, unfortunate and devastating though these events are, they are fortunately rare. Doctors should explain the risks and benefits that have been scientifically PROVEN to result from the use of pitocin. Women who are pregnant should also do the due dilligence to find out for themselves what those are, prior to being in labor, so that they can make an educated decision even in the heat of the moment.
Again, I am sorry for your loss. I never said that deaths couldn’t occur from the use of a usually safe medication. But what I disagree with still is touting UNSCIENTIFIC, UNPROVEN data as fact. And people can play with the words causative and correlation all they want. It just doesn’t change the FACTS, much as we might want something to blame for the cause of autism. Look, I’d love it if it was that simple, because I was blessed not to have to use pitocin in either of my deliveries. So if someone could say, “Hey, that’s what causes it,” then I could breathe a big ol’ sigh of relief.
But in the meantime, some women NEED this drug to get their babies out of the bodies safely. And I intensely disagree with the immoral misuse of information here.
I am a medical researcher and can tell you that every day researchers are sent back to the drawing board if the outcomes do not support the funding agency’s agenda. It happens in corporate labs and in University settings. Your faith in the Authority of research is your undoing.
I would be interested to see what the sample size was for the Australian study linking medicated birth to autism. I have seen studies that link almost everything to autism. It is becoming the fad catch all for people to further their own points of view rather than helpful science into the causes of autism.
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I do not think providing information to women is “SCARING people, LYING to them, and MISUSING scientific data”. VERY few care providers will provide all the information we need to make an informed decision, even when we ask them. Most often, they will tell us the medications are safe, even though there is plenty scientific data and women’s own experiences showing otherwise. I think the whole point of this post is to tell what natural birth advocates have always agreed on: intervention is beneficial only in a small number of situations (when medically NECESSARY). Most women, with good care and adequate support, do not need intervention, and in this case the risks outweigh the benefits. Sadly, in our medicalized society, intervention is the norm, and this is what tells women that their bodies are not capable of birthing babies. Unnecessary intervention is what causes us to walk away from birth feeling like we (and our bodies) let down our children. If in the event that a medical situation arises, and then we require intervention, if we’ve been truly informed about these things, we can then honestly say, “this was what my baby and I needed to have a safe delivery”. That’s being empowered!!!
No, it’s called being lucky. If you don’t need the interventions, you are lucky. If you are screaming in agony because your baby won’t come out without intervention, then you are going to go with the stats.
Yet again another thing for mother’s to be paranoid about. Society seems to create these things to bring fear into a person. There are risks with everything. I think most people are aware of that. And whats right for one person may be wrong for another. People shouldn’t have to feel guilty for their actions. In some cases, like my own, I had NO other choice but to be induced. Both the baby’s life and my life depended on it. Do I feel like I did something wrong? NO. I chose LIFE for the two of us. We as parents are always trying to do what is right for our children. It seems to change everyday with what is good and what is bad. There is already enough to worry about in this world.
What you are saying is exactly what I (and most others) agree on. Induction, and other interventions, are beneficial when reserved for when mom or baby’s life or health depends on it. No one argues that saving a life outweighs the risks involved! Praise God that these things are available when they are needed. It’s the overuse of interventions that we are critical of. And many doctors convince mothers that interventions are mandatory and necessary, even when they aren’t. It’s a shame! Should you feel bad about your induction?…absolutely not. No one is suggesting moms feel guilty about the decisions they make. It’s not about guilt or wanting women to be paranoid. I think women need to be seeking true and accurate information, finding a care provider who really is trustworthy, and deciding what is right for YOU and your birth. And the reality is, as moms, we should be deciding for ourselves what is right for us and our babies…our doctors are just there to give guidance.
I appreciate and realize the intentions might be good here, but the bottom line is, people read headlines. And they take snippets from articles like this and make them into fact. The vaccination/autism “connection” is a good example of this. When someone writes an “informative” article, they need to be very, very careful how they phrase things and use scientific data to misinform people.
Outraged —
Reader comprehension is not a blogger’s responsibility. If one wants to be informed, it is his or her duty. Nobody can enforce readers to get comprehensive information. I find nothing alarming about these headlines, and the information therein is what is the shocking part, not the headline itself.
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I would encourage anyone who is interested in reading more about the hidden causes of autism to read the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome. After reading that and doing other research, and hearing from parents who have healed their children through a nutritional approach and healing the gut bacteria, I’m more inclined to think that the link to induction/autism is due to a managed birth with more antibiotics and/or c-section birth. Both of these wipe out any good bacteria that a baby might have gotten from the mother at birth, and make breastfeeding less likely, which also encourages the growth of good bacteria. A gut dysbiosis makes autism and attention disorders much more likely- almost assured.
I had 8 hrs of Pitocin during a normal labor,just to “move things along”. I had severe depression for a year or more after my son’s birth. He was a very happy baby, always snored, had lots of ear infections,& subsequent “allergies”. We were told by various pediatricians, allergists, etc that he was borderline ADD & had several pet & environmental allergies. I searched for years for a connection between his allergies & his constant motion. Meds of various kinds were little if any help. My son is now 22 yrs old & we were recently told that his melatonin levels are off because of the Pitocin, which caused his sinus linings to swell, & disturbed the chemical balance in the brain. He began taking certain minerals & other supplements, & the difference in him is remarkable!
Susan, Thank you for sharing your story. I’m so glad you were able to find some answers and solutions for your son’s health. I’d love to hear more. Whol told you about the melatonin-Pit-sinus-chemical-imbalance connection? I’d love to learn more about it!
I think the multiple vaccinations and pitocin at birth should be Questioned by parents. I did question my pitocin and the Dr said, your water has broken you might get infection, but then dont all women deliver after the water breaks. He lied and did not tell me about itocin so yes all Drs/hospitals/Insurance companies are together in this. Even with the vaccinations, a baby can handle only so many at one- the idea is for him to develop immunity against certain infections- how can they all at once. But the isurance company does not want to pay for it in multiple visit. Our concern as a society should be health of children not what these giant insurance company wants and what the Dr wants for his profit.
Hi there,
Thank you for sharing such critical, useful information. At Midwife International, we love oxytocin and wish that it can play a significant role in every birth. The way in which we ensure this is by training midwives to engage with safe, natural birth. We train midwives who are equipped to work in resource-constrained regions where maternal and child mortality is high and the need for professional midwives is greatest. For more information, please visit: http://midwifeinternational.org/midwife-training/.
Thank you for all that you do!
Does anyone know of any way to antidote or mitigate the effects of pitocin use (on the baby?) Has anyone tried homeopathic oxytocin?
My OBGYN tried to induce labor a week before my son was actually born. It failed – and thankfully he allowed me to go home until labor started naturally. I am concerned about the distress that may have occurred to my son in utero. He is 8 yrs old and has a very limited ability to deal with stress. I can’t help wondering if there is a connection.
Hoping someone out there knows something about this.
I have three adult sons in their 30′s and 40′s. The first & second sons were with induced labor (Pitocin). I mean labor was initiated and followed through with Pitocin. No one informed my husband and I about any adverse or side effects for the babies or myself. I was not monitored constantly and to top it off, I have since learned that it was not medically necessary to begin my labor. I had a very small leak of amniotic fluid with the first baby and the second was close to term so “let’s just do it!” About a year ago I was made aware that my sons have had such a difficult time with life because of the pitocin. They have problems with social skills and other problems too lengthy to list here. The third son was born “naturally” with no pitocin. He is just fine! I was grateful to know when I started checking my thoughts about pitocin that I might be on to something. But it will never give them back what they have missed out. EVERYONE needs to be informed about this overusage. Now, taking into consideration the first child was born in 1970, the second in 1973, only about 20 years after the pitocin was put into use. Maybe they were just ignorant.