The effect of early oxytocin augmentation in labor: a meta-analysis.

What It Covers

This meta-analysis looks at Oxytocin.

To estimate the effects of early augmentation with oxytocin for slow progress of labor on the delivery method and on indicators of maternal and neonatal morbidity.

Why It Was Studied

The researchers conducted electronic database searches of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for articles published through February 2009 using the keywords "oxytocin," "augmentation," "active management of labor," "cesarean section," and "labor." Primary authors were contacted directly if the data sought were unavailable.

Who the Included Studies Covered

PubMed tags the participants as women only.

The researchers included randomized controlled trials comparing early oxytocin augmentation with a more conservative approach to care in labor.

The researchers included only those studies in which membrane management was similar in the two groups.

How the Review Was Done

Early oxytocin augmentation was defined as immediate oxytocin administration when dystocia was identified.

Data were extracted by two authors independently and evaluated for potential sources of bias.

What Was Measured

The researchers conducted electronic database searches of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for articles published through February 2009 using the keywords "oxytocin," "augmentation," "active management of labor," "cesarean section," and "labor." Primary authors were contacted directly if the data sought were unavailable.

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Labor, Induced, Obstetric Labor Complications, Oxytocics and Oxytocin.

What This Means in Plain Language

This is a meta-analysis of Oxytocin.

Its findings take up roughly 8 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2009 (Obstetrics and gynecology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Oxytocin compound page, all human trials.