Use of oxytocin and incidence of neonatal jaundice

A retrospective controlled study using data from the Cardiff Births Survey examined a possible relation between oxytocin administration to induce or accelerate labour and the subsequent development of neonatal jaundice. Among 10 591 infants born in Cardiff between 1970 and 1972 the incidence of neonatal jaundice was higher in infants born after oxytocin administration than among others. Analysis by gestational age at delivery, birth weight, Apgar score, length of labour, sedative and analgesic therapy during labour, and suppression of lactation showed that this association held within all these categories except among small immature infants, who are at high risk of jaundice in any case.