For further information, contact Melissa Maimann at Essential Birth Consulting.
The modification of the oxytocin infusion protocol at a large university-affiliated community hospital nearly halved the number of emergency cesarean deliveries over a 3-year period …
As oxytocin utilization declined from 93.3% to 78.9%, emergency cesarean deliveries decreased from 10.9% to 5.7% …
Other birth outcomes improved as well … significant declines in emergency vacuum and forceps deliveries and a sharp reduction in neonatal ICU team mobilization for signs of fetal distress …
“More and more data are showing us that we are using too much oxytocin too often,” …
… The most profound changes were in emergency deliveries, including caesarean deliveries, vacuum deliveries … and forceps deliveries …
Did I read that right? 93% women had oxytocin, and this was reduced to 79%? That’s extremely high! WHO says the combined induction and augmentation rate should not exceed about 10%. How is it that 93% women “needed” oxytocin? How would these women have felt if they knew that 86% of them did not actually “need” that oxytocin infusion?
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448