# Oxytocin

Drug · id `maternal:oxytocin` · Maternal & Newborn Atlas · release `c7fb95f1d15a7d13` (public)

> General information from published sources, not medical advice, and not reviewed by clinicians. Check the cited source before relying on anything here.

The atlas's own text and curation may be reused under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/): credit the atlas, and do not use it commercially. See the atlas About page. Text quoted from a source stays under that source's own terms, given as the source's reuse\_basis. The atlas's reuse terms do not cover it. The downloads list each quotation with its source in third\_party\_quotations.

Browse, life stage: Childbirth  
Browse, care area: Labour and birth  

## In plain language

Oxytocin is a medicine made in the laboratory that copies a natural hormone, and it makes the womb contract. It is given by drip or injection. This atlas meets it in two separate roles, kept on separate pages: to start or strengthen labour (induction), and to prevent heavy bleeding after the baby is born. What research shows for one role does not carry over to the other.

## Technical summary

Drug, level substance. RxCUI 7824 (RxNav name oxytocin, term type IN) and UNII 1JQS135EYN from the openFDA approved-drugs record for Pitocin (identifiers read 2026-10-14). The US Pitocin label (set id 6e5a66fc-e507-497c-b5ce-44a8c95898ad, version 15) lists use before birth to start or improve uterine contractions when this is desirable and considered suitable for reasons of fetal or maternal concern, in order to achieve vaginal delivery, with a boxed notice that it is not indicated for elective induction, and use after birth to produce contractions in the third stage of labour and to control bleeding. Labelled uses differ by country and only the US label was read. The 2025 postpartum haemorrhage guideline recommends oxytocin 10 IU for preventing postpartum haemorrhage in all births (Recommendation 7.1) and as the agent of choice when several uterotonics are available (Recommendation 10). The registry record of a large trial of induction at 39 weeks says its induction arm used oxytocin. No clinical claim sits on this page: the induction records and the bleeding-prevention record each hold the evidence for their own use.

## Connected pages

- Used to induce or augment labour: Induction of labour (`maternal:induction-of-labour`)
- Recommended uterotonic of choice where several are available (WHO 2025 Recommendation 10): Medicine to prevent heavy bleeding right after birth (oxytocin or another uterotonic) (`maternal:uterotonic-pph-prevention`)
- Filed under this front: Medicines and vaccines (`maternal:front-medicines-and-vaccines`)
- Contained in: Pitocin (oxytocin injection) (`maternal:pitocin`)
- Investigated in: CHAMPION trial (heat-stable carbetocin against oxytocin) (`maternal:champion-trial`)

## Provenance

Content hash: daaf07720f1a8a5141a070e09280002cab5eca6800883a18727a7aa027491b25
Last substantive edit: 2026-10-14
Evidence last checked: 2026-10-14