The effect of emotional support on maternal oxytocin levels in labouring women

Objective. The presence of a supportive companion to women in labour has been found to reduce the duration of labour and the incidence of oxytocin augmentation. The mechanism which produces this improvement is unknown but work in animals suggests that environmental disturbance produces changes in en...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of obstetrics & gynecology and reproductive biology 1998-08, Vol.79 (2), p.127-129
Main Authors: Lindow, S.W, Hendricks, M.S, Thompson, J.W, van der Spuy, Z.M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Affective Symptoms - blood
Biological and medical sciences
Emotional support
Emotions
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hormone metabolism and regulation
Humans
Labor, Obstetric - blood
Maternal oxytocin levels
Oxytocin - blood
Pregnancy
Pregnancy. Parturition. Lactation
Tropical medicine
Vertebrates: reproduction
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Summary:Objective. The presence of a supportive companion to women in labour has been found to reduce the duration of labour and the incidence of oxytocin augmentation. The mechanism which produces this improvement is unknown but work in animals suggests that environmental disturbance produces changes in endogenous oxytocin secretion. This study was carried out to assess maternal oxytocin secretion in relation to the presence of a supportive companion in labour. Study design. A randomised controlled trial involving allocation of unsupported women in the first stage of labour to a period of 1h with a supportive companion or 1h without. Sixteen women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies who were in the active phase of the first stage of labour were studied. Maternal oxytocin levels were assayed by radioimmunoassay for 16min (eight specimens) before and after the support or control period. Results. There are no differences between maternal oxytocin levels in the two groups of patients. There was no difference in either of the two groups between the oxytocin levels pre and post the support/control period. Conclusions. One hour of birth support in the first stage of labour did not improve maternal oxytocin levels when compared to a control group.
ISSN:0301-2115
1872-7654
DOI:10.1016/S0301-2115(98)00073-6