OPTIMIZING BREASTFEEDING AMONG WOMEN WHO HAVE RECEIVED INTRAPARTUM SYNTHETIC OXYTOCIN ADMINISTRATION

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effects of intrapartum synthetic oxytocin administration on the maternal/fetal-infant dyad, and specifically its implications on breastfeeding outcomes, to develop evidence-informed practice recommendations for healthcare professionals, expecting mothers, and mothers who have received Pitocin intrapartum. Background: Synthetic oxytocin (Pitocin) is administered to stimulate uterine contractions for the use of induction or augmentation in the intrapartum phase, and to prevent postpartum hemorrhage. It is additionally an important endogenous hormone in the human body significant to bonding and the milk let-down reflex in breastfeeding. With the importance of endogenous oxytocin in the body and increasing prevalence in inductions and augmentations, implications of Pitocin use in the intrapartum phase and how it affects breastfeeding are discussed. Approach to Practice: The best practice recommendations are based on a literature review of PubMed and CINAHL with the following keywords: synthetic oxytocin, breastfeeding, induction/augmentation, effects, and Pitocin. Nine articles from this search are included in the literature review and all were published within the past 10 years. Outcomes: There are evidence informed implications that synthetic oxytocin negatively affects breastfeeding due to decreased neonatal primitive reflexes, disruption during the “Golden Hour” for breastfeeding, and increased maternal complications. Conclusions: Breastfeeding is significant to infant development; therefore, the promotion of breastfeeding is always beneficial. Increased education on the implications of Pitocin during pregnancy, the use of a Pitocin checklist for administration, and lactation consultations are recommendations based on this literature review. More research needs to be done to address the physiological relationship between synthetic oxytocin and the maternal/fetal-infant patients.