Pitocin and Jaundice Poll - Page 2

[3_opihi]

Allright, so I did a google search and surprise! Pitocin can cause jaundice in newborns. According to RXlist.com and a plethera of other sites, it is clearly stated as a side effect.

"Due to use of oxytocin in the mother:
-Neonatal retinal
-Low Apgar scores at five minutes
-Neonatal jaundice "

That's from here

and

"Anything that makes it tougher for the immature liver to process the bilirubin can also lead to jaundice, including prematurity, lack of oxygen, poor feeding, thyroid deficiency, a genetic enzyme deficiency, or a liver otherwise occupied with dealing with an infection or a drug (such as oxytocin with chlorobutanol [Pitocin])." from here

blueviolet, I don't know the answers to your questions. I suppose it would depend on many factors, such as, how long the labor was, if there was any distress, interventions, and if there was a good start breastfeeding, and blood compatibility. I can tell you that my son's didn't show signs of jaundice until the next day. But I have known people whose babies were born with it.

edited to add: I found one more really good one. Scroll down to the second page and there it is ---jaundice in newborns.
http://www.kingpharm.com/uploads/pdf...Pitocin_PI.pdf

[3_opihi]

Blueviolet, I believe that jaundice occuring from a drug reaction in a newborn is usually pathologic. (Occuring within 24 hours).

[mnnice]

I had pictocin, but not until after my ds was born and his cord was cut (almost immediately after birth). We ended up with moderate jaundance. We had two heel punctures and a 24 hours with the billy blanket at home (I thought the billy blanket was kind of a PITA, but it didn't seem to bother the little guy he both ate and slept good for a week old babe. While at the time I was a little freaked by the whole thing I don't think anything of it now. Way better than teething.

[JustJamie]

Pitocin for 23 hours, baby had mild jaundice. She did not need billi lights and I was not told to do anything but nurse normally.

[LoveChild421]

no pitocin or drugs- ds had jaundice, not bad enough for the ped. to even want to draw blood.

[kerikadi]

All four babies had jaundice - I only had pitocin with one of them, the last two were born at home, no vitamin K either.

Keri

[boscopup]

No pitocin, had lots of jaundice, but DS was a preemie, so I think that affected his bilirubin levels more than anything else.

[G&B'sMama]

Both my babes had jaundice, the first was a pitocin induction and the second was completely natural.

[laohaire]

Home birth (no pit, obviously), and delayed cord clamping. Bad jaundice (>21) and had to be hospitalized. Caused by problems BFing I'm sure. A terrible, terrible experience.

[JustJamie]

Originally Posted by boscopup

No pitocin, had lots of jaundice, but DS was a preemie, so I think that affected his bilirubin levels more than anything else.

This may seem like a dumb question but is there a correlation between gestational age and jaundice?

[Melaniee]

Well this is an OOOLD thread but I thought I'd add an update now that #2 is here. She & I also have ABO incompatibility, though her type is different than our son's. I had no pitocin and the cord was not clamped/cut until it stopped pulsating. NO JAUNDICE! NONE! NOT A BIT! I couldn't believe it.

Both children will 'full term,' with Ds being born the day after his due date and Dd 3 days prior.

I knew a lot more about BFing with Dd, than Ds, obviously, so that may have also contributed. My milk came in a day or so earlier.

So, I'm no help, I guess. Was it the pit? The cord? The milk? The sunny weather? I don't know, but it was something.

[CrazyCatLady]

I used a very lit bit of pit at the end of the labor. No other meds/drugs. My baby did have terrible jaunice for about a week. She looked really, really bad.

[IamPink]

#1 had Pitocin and no jaundice
#2 had Cytotec and Pitocin and levels were 21 and into NICU
I wondered if it was the Ctyotec, myself?

[Belle]

No pitocin, mild jaundice

[JesiLynne]

yes pit, and had to have full blood transfusion to prevent brain damage due to high jaundice.

[3_opihi]

Ooh, wow, this thread is OLD. I've had two more children since I started it, lol.

#2 was a homebirth, had jaundice, #3 natural too, very mild jaundice. It turns out dh and I had ABO compatibility. I also think it was compounded a little in the boys because of genetics/ heredity. I was reading somewhere that jaundice in newborn japanese males is almost a given. I have no idea why.

Infants of East Asian and Native American descent have higher levels of bilirubin than white infants, who in turn have higher bilirubin levels than infants of African descent. There is an enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), deficiency that is more prevalent in infants of East Asian, Greek, and African descent which causes neonatal jaundice to appear at approximately the same time as physiological jaundice. Sickle cell anemia does not predispose newborn infants to jaundice.

http://health.enotes.com/childrens-h...natal-jaundice

I also wanted to add, that with ds #1 --the one who had pit, his jaundice was much more severe and long lasting. His level was up to 19 or 20 and he was under the lights --he was orange for about a month poor thing. IMO, he would have probably had a mild case of jaundice anyway, but the pit form made it much more long lasting and severe.

[TanyaS]

I had A LOT of pitocin with ds and he had a bad case of jaundice after birth. We were readmitted for treatment for three days because his levels were so high. They climbed to 26 before going down.

Jaundice is a KNOWN side effect of pitocin. Here's the patient info sheet:
http://www.kingpharm.com/uploads/pdf...Pitocin_PI.pdf
Page 2, second column adverse reactions reported in the fetus or neonate.

ETA: I just realized someone had posted this link already.

[FiveLittleDucks]

I had pit with all five kiddos (My hormones are so whacked that I actually don't go into labor...don't contract after either, but that's another thread), and none of them had jaundice. I guess we got really lucky after reading info posted above.

[Samjm]

Had Pitocin (medically necessary induction) but DD did not have jaundice.

[boscopup]

Originally Posted by JustJamie

This may seem like a dumb question but is there a correlation between gestational age and jaundice?

Preemie's systems aren't mature enough to handle all the assaults of life. Most of the time, their nervous systems, lungs, liver, etc. all need to mature a bit longer. In the case of the liver - it can't get the bilirubin out on its own, and thus needs the help of bili lights, etc. These systems *do* mature outside of mom, but just take some time.