Category: Maternity care

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 30% of labors in the U.S. were induced in recent years. This rising trend brings the widespread use of Pitocin into sharp focus, raising the critical question: **Why is Pitocin controversial?** The debate centers on its pharmacological differences from natural oxytocin and the potential risks it introduces to the childbirth process.

According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 83 to 85 percent of women requiring labor induction may also need cervical ripening. For those with an unfavorable cervix, the primary **medication used to ripen the cervix** consists of synthetic prostaglandin analogues. These medicines help soften and thin the cervix, a crucial step before labor can effectively begin.

Labor induction can be a necessary medical procedure when continuing a pregnancy poses more risk than delivering. The medication, often referred to as 'the pill they put in your cervix,' is typically a prostaglandin designed to soften and prepare the cervix for delivery. This process, known as cervical ripening, is the critical first step before contractions can begin effectively.