Oxytocin (medication)
Oxytocin, sold under the brand name Pitocin among others, is a medication made from the peptide "oxytocin". As a medication, it is used to cause contraction of the uterus to start labor, increase the speed of labor, and to stop bleeding following delivery. For this purpose, it is given by injection either into a muscle or into a vein.
The use of oxytocin as a medication can result in excessive contraction of the uterus that can risk the health of the baby. Common side effects in the mother include nausea and a slow heart rate. Serious side effects include rupture of the uterus and with excessive dose, water intoxication. Allergic reactions including anaphylaxis may also occur.
Oxytocin was discovered in 1952. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. , the wholesale cost in the developing world is US$0.10 to 0.56 per dose.Oxytocin injection (synthetic) is contraindicated in any of these conditions:Oxytocin is relatively safe when used at recommended doses, and side effects are uncommon. These maternal events have been reported:Excessive dosage or long-term administration (over a period of 24 hours or longer) has been known to result in tetanic uterine contractions, uterine rupture, postpartum hemorrhage, and water intoxication, sometimes fatal.
Endocrinology of parenting
However, experimental results are less conclusive. Nulliparous mice do not respond to pup calls, but when administered with oxytocin, they do. A similar study conducted by Holmon and Goy tested nulliparous rhesus females, where post injection did not elicit a drastic response to infants, however there was a notable change in the adult's behavior, including increased proximity and touching. Oxytocin is more often described as a hormone that facilitates bonding and not one that directly increases care. Also, the mice were responding to pup calls and the rhesus macaque infants weren't necessarily providing cues. Similar to the explanation provided for the variation in estrogen and progesterone, rhesus macaques live in drastically different environments. Saltzman proposes that this is due to primates living socially and having a slower developmental trajectory, in which learning is more important.