Neonatal Jaundice—A Comparison between Intravenous Oxytocin and Oral Prostaglandin E 2

Abstract

The total serum bilirubin levels at two and occasionally five days after birth were studied in 162 infants whose mothers received either intravenous oxytocin or oral Prostaglandin E₂ during labour, and the results were compared with those obtained in forty-two control patients.

Following labour of spontaneous onset, whether the mother received intravenous oxytocin or oral Prostaglandin E₂, neonatal total serum bilirubin levels were not different from those in controls.

After induction by amniotomy and an active agent, higher mean total serum bilirubin levels were found in infants whose mothers received intravenous oxytocin than in those given oral Prostaglandin E₂; a significant rise in the total serum bilirubin level appeared to occur when mothers received a total of more than 12,000 milliunits of oxytocin or more than 4,000 milliunits per kg birthweight of the infant.