Oxytocin Rest to Reduce Cesarean Delivery in Prolonged Labor: An Open-Label, Randomized Controlled Trial

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating whether a 60-minute break from oxytocin infusion, called "oxytocin rest," can reduce the chance of cesarean delivery in pregnant people experiencing prolonged latent labor. Prolonged labor is usually managed by continuous oxytocin, but this study aims to see if pausing the infusion strengthens contractions and helps labor progress. This open-label randomized trial focuses on patients with singleton pregnancies at 36 weeks or more who have slow labor progress despite continuous oxytocin. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a 60-minute oxytocin rest or continued continuous oxytocin infusion. Those in the oxytocin rest group will pause oxytocin for an hour, during which they may take breaks from monitoring to rest, shower, walk, or eat. After this, oxytocin is restarted at a low dose and gradually increased. The control group will receive continuous oxytocin, with doses increased similarly. Labor care aside from this is managed by the clinical team as usual. Throughout the study, researchers will collect clinical and demographic data, focusing on the rate of cesarean delivery as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include labor duration, maternal and newborn complications, and patient feelings of control during labor. Data will be gathered from hospital records until discharge. The trial will enroll 350 participants and monitor outcomes up to delivery and hospital discharge, with neonatal follow-up up to 28 days.

Oxytocin Rest to Reduce Cesarean Delivery