Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2021 May;100(5):971-978.
doi: 10.1111/aogs.14042. Epub 2021 Jan 28.

Dosage of oxytocin for augmentation of labor and women's childbirth experiences: A randomized controlled trial

Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Dosage of oxytocin for augmentation of labor and women's childbirth experiences: A randomized controlled trial

Lotta Selin et al. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2021 May.

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare childbirth experiences and experience of labor pain in primiparous women who had received high- vs low-dose oxytocin for augmentation of delayed labor.

Material and methods: A multicenter, parallel, double-blind randomized controlled trial took place in six Swedish labor wards. Inclusion criteria were healthy primiparous women at term with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies, cephalic fetal presentation, spontaneous onset of labor, confirmed delayed labor progress and ruptured membranes. The randomized controlled trial compared high- vs low-dose oxytocin used for augmentation of a delayed labor progress. The Childbirth Experience Questionnaire version 2 (CEQ2) was sent to the women 1 month after birth. The CEQ2 consists of 22 items in four domains: Own capacity, Perceived safety, Professional support and Participation. In addition, labor pain was reported with a visual analog scale (VAS) 2 hours postpartum and 1 month after birth. The main outcome was the childbirth experience measured with the four domains of the CEQ2. The clinical trial number is NCT01587625.

Results: The CEQ2 was sent to 1203 women, and a total of 1008 women (83.8%) answered the questionnaire. The four domains of childbirth experience were scored similarly in the high- and low-dose oxytocin groups of women: Own capacity (P = .36), Perceived safety (P = .44), Professional support (P = .84), Participation (P = .49). VAS scores of labor pain were reported as similar in both oxytocin dosage groups. Labor pain was scored higher 1 month after birth compared with 2 hours postpartum. There was an association between childbirth experiences and mode of birth in both the high- and low-dose oxytocin groups.

Conclusions: Different dosage of oxytocin for augmentation of delayed labor did not affect women's childbirth experiences assessed through CEQ2 1 month after birth, or pain assessment 2 hours or 1 month after birth.

Keywords: birth; childbirth experience; delayed labor; labor pain; oxytocin augmentation; randomized controlled trial.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Domains and items included in the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire 2 (CEQ2)
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
CONSORT flow diagram of participants [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Lundgren I. Swedish women’s experience of childbirth 2 years after birth. Midwifery. 2005;21:346‐354. - PubMed
    1. Waldenstrom U, Hildingsson I, Rubertsson C, Radestad I. A negative birth experience: prevalence and risk factors in a national sample. Birth. 2004;31:17‐27. - PubMed
    1. Ayers S, Bond R, Bertullies S, Wijma K. The aetiology of post‐traumatic stress following childbirth: a meta‐analysis and theoretical framework. Psychol Med. 2016;46:1121‐1134. - PubMed
    1. Dencker A, Nilsson C, Begley C, et al. Causes and outcomes in studies of fear of childbirth: a systematic review. Women Birth. 2019;32:99‐111. - PubMed
    1. Shorey S, Yang YY, Ang E. The impact of negative childbirth experience on future reproductive decisions: a quantitative systematic review. J Adv Nurs. 2018;74:1236‐1244. - PubMed

Publication types

Associated data