http://www.mercola.com/2001/mar/3/pitocin.htm
A class action lawsuit has been filed in Tennessee against
the manufacturer of a drug that has been used on millions of pregnant women to
stimulate contractions during childbirth.
The drug is Pitocin, and the lawsuit alleges that it is “dangerously
defective” and may be linked to the deaths of several mothers during childbirth
and health problems with some babies.
The lawsuit alleges that the drug itself isn’t causing the
problems, rather it is a preservative in the mixture called chlorobutanol that lawyers
are alleging causes the dangerous side effects.
In addition to possibly causing deaths of mothers during
childbirth, some suggest its use may be linked to autism in some babies and low
oxygen levels in others.
Manufacturers of the drug say there are some health risks
for some women given the drug, but defends both the drug and its label, the
station said.
The Web site childbirth.org has a page of frequently-asked
questions about Pitocin.
Pitocin does have a place in medicine, but like MANY other
drugs, it is vastly overused. It should not be used in a majority of births, as
it currently is. Much of the reason for its popularity is the wide use of “Epidurals”
during childbirth. The epidurals often provide pain relief, but at a price, as
they often cause labor to slow down, thus requiring the use
of Pitocin.
Another reason could be that doctors and hospitals like
using Pitocin because it speeds up labor and shortens the amount of time that a
woman needs to be in the labor and delivery room.
Even the FDA acknowledged the dangers of Pitocin years
ago, when it removed its approval of the drug for the elective induction of
labor in 1978.
Women should be aware of the potential risks associated
with these drugs and try to avoid them if at all possible.
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