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Review
. 2014 Jan-Feb;59(1):35-42: quiz 108.
doi: 10.1111/jmwh.12101. Epub 2014 Jan 28.

Beyond labor: the role of natural and synthetic oxytocin in the transition to motherhood

Aleeca F Bell, Elise N Erickson, C Sue Carter
Review

Beyond labor: the role of natural and synthetic oxytocin in the transition to motherhood

Aleeca F Bell et al. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2014 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Emerging research raises questions that synthetic oxytocin during childbirth may alter the endogenous oxytocin system and influence maternal stress, mood, and behavior. Endogenous oxytocin is a key component in the transition to motherhood, affecting molecular pathways that buffer stress reactivity, support positive mood, and regulate healthy mothering behaviors (including lactation). Synthetic oxytocin is widely used throughout labor and postpartum care in modern birth. Yet research on the implications beyond labor of maternal exposure to perinatal synthetic oxytocin is rare. In this article, we review oxytocin-related biologic pathways and behaviors associated with the transition to motherhood and evidence supporting the need for further research on potential effects of intrapartum oxytocin beyond labor. We include a primer on oxytocin at the molecular level.

Keywords: Pitocin; birth; breastfeeding; labor; lactation; mood; mothering; oxytocin; postpartum depression; stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest disclosure:

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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