Sunday, December 26, 2010

A missed med

Just a quick entry on a drug that I forgot to add to my previous entry.  It's called Cytotec. It is mostly in inductions, but the shocking thing is that is it is not approved by the FDA  for use in inductions. So there isn't a certain amount that is recommended safe, it is whatever dosage the doctor decides to use. (How they determine this, I don't know, but I have a feeling it's through trial and error.) Pitocin is the most widely recognized drug used during labor to help with inductions and with labor, the trouble with Pitocin is that if you aren't near you due date and you are "ripe" (meaning the cervix is soft instead of hard) Pitocin doesn't work effectively.
Cytotec has had mixed results with most of the inductions. The trouble is that it causes contractions that are so hard, it is responsible for uterine ruptures of healthy uterus', but since this doesn't happen with every induction doctors still use it and it hasn't been pulled. 

Induced and Seduced: a Mothering Magazine article

No comments:

Post a Comment