Oxytocin Dosing Strategy in Latent Labor Investigated for Impact on Active Phase Intervention Need

Labor induction often involves oxytocin, a synthetic form of the naturally occurring hormone, to stimulate uterine contractions. While effective, optimizing oxytocin dosing regimens remains a clinical challenge, particularly regarding the balance between achieving efficient labor progression and minimizing adverse effects or the need for further intervention. Current protocols vary, and there's a gap in understanding how initial dosing in the latent phase influences the subsequent need for continued oxytocin therapy during the more intense active phase of labor. This study aims to address this by comparing different induction strategies.

This randomized controlled study will enroll pregnant women undergoing labor induction and assign them to one of two groups. One group will receive low-dose oxytocin therapy, while the other will receive high-dose oxytocin therapy during the latent phase of labor. Dosing regimens would follow established clinical guidelines. Oxytocin administration will cease at the onset of the active phase. The primary endpoint is comparing the need for additional oxytocin treatment during the active phase between the two initial dosing groups.