Researchers from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin have called for an update to the current national guidelines on oxytocin use in labour, advocating for a more conservative approach to ensure it is used safely and only when clinically necessary. Their recommendations follow a newly published cross-sectional study in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, which analysed data from more than 2,000 women who gave birth at The Coombe Hospital in 2022.

Oxytocin augmentation is used to speed up labour in women who have already gone into labour naturally. Administered as an intravenous drip, oxytocin makes contractions longer, stronger, and more frequent.

Key findings

  • Premature Use of Oxytocin: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends accelerating labour only in women with an abnormally slow progress during the active phase. However, the study found that 58.35% of women who received oxytocin augmentation had a cervical dilatation of less than 5 cm, meaning the intervention was performed before active labour had properly begun.
  • A "Hurry Up" Culture: More than one in three first-time mothers in the study had their labour augmented.
  • More interventions and potential risks: Women who underwent oxytocin augmentation faced higher odds of having an instrument-assisted birth (forceps or vacuum) and receiving epidural analgesia. Early use of oxytocin augmentation (before 5cm dilatation) was also associated with suspected fetal hypoxia, caesarean section, and postpartum haemorrhage.

Lead author Silvia Alòs-Pereñíguez, PhD, School of Nursing and Midwifery, said:

“While oxytocin augmentation can be a useful intervention in certain situations, our study found it is often used too much, too soon. This is not without a cost. Augmenting labour unnecessarily may expose women and babies to avoidable risks.”

Call for action

The study highlights an urgent need to re-evaluate and tighten national guidelines on oxytocin use, focusing on:

  • Clear criteria for initiating oxytocin augmentation.
  • Reviewing dosage protocols of oxytocin towards a more conservative approach as seen internationally.
  • Regular staff training in evidence-based labour management.
  • Ongoing monitoring of oxytocin augmentation rates in maternity hospitals.

Silvia Alòs-Pereñíguez concluded:

“As healthcare professionals, we have a responsibility to review our practice continually and make changes when they are needed. This time has come. Aligning the national guideline on oxytocin use with the latest evidence can reduce unnecessary interventions, improve safety, and promote more positive birth experiences for women and their families.”

About the Study
The study, Factors associated with augmentation of labour with synthetic oxytocin: A cross-sectional study, was published in August 2025 in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. You can read the full paper here.