Link of Pitocin and Autism

bam326

Wow, thanks for everyone's thoughts! Well I was right in that is sparked a discussion. I agree that correlation does not equal causation. I had just been hearing more and more regarding pitocin and wanted to hear how other moms/moms to be felt. I think it's healthy to explore all sides and considerations, so thanks.

Jillzy86

People have been living with Autism way before pitocin was used during labor.

SweetTea420

IBackBevo said:

SweetTea420 said:

It's so annoying how many papers/studies there are on this. These researchers are so desperate to publish papers even when their data is garbage. I work in the genetics field and more and more genes are being found that are linked to autism. There's even a well known and described deletion on 16p linked to autism that we didn't know about a few years back. Maybe I'm biased, but genetics sounds like a way more logical explanation to me.

I have a fragile X permutation. Fragile x (fmr1 mutation) is the leading know cause of autism. Yet I wonder how many people even know what fragile X is...

I never knew what Fragile X was until I started working in the field. I actually am very familiar with the test and used to do the bench work for it. The doctors in our area are familiar with it and usually order it with a microarray when they suspect a genetic problem. We very rarely get positives or even premutations. Do you know how many repeats your expansion is?

Empireceo

savannah_girl said:

I was induced, got an epi pushed for 4 hours and ended up in a C/S.let me tell you all a little L/D secret. In my state (GA), almost all.women get pit. I would say 99 percent of my patients got it after the baby was.born to help the uterus clamp down. And 100% of C/S did too. Just because they didn't not get it for 'induction' of labor does not.means they didn't get it. Now I can't tell you about a birthing center.but I worked at 3 hospitals, one was a world recognized teaching hospital. They had the same policy

This is true.  Even my home birth midwives will have some on hand to administer after the birth.  

Fitpreggo

Is there a difference between Pitocin and Oxytocin?   I believe my hospital gives Oxy...at least thats what it says in the statement I copied below... 

"We routinely administer a medication (oxytocin) to you with the delivery of your baby's shoulders to help prevent bleeding and prevent the placenta from getting stuck.  This can be administered by a needle into your leg, or through an IV.  (information sheet available)"

sthomas1222

Pitocin is synthetic Oxytocin. The big difference is that Pit does not cross the blood/brain barrier.

Mimaloo

Kimbus22 said:

Mimaloo said:

Everything causes autism these days.  Someone told me a while back that having an epidural will cause autism ::eye roll::.  Either way, I have thought about this one and I plan to refuse pitocin if it's offered to me as an option.  

I would like to deliver vaginally (with an epidural).  If for some reason the doctor thinks induction would be necessary, I'd like to go right for a c-section.  My reasoning for this, however, has nothing to do with the supposed link between pitocin and autism.  I'd forego pitocin because everyone I know (personally) who has been induced has ended up with a c-section anyway.  That's not to say that this is the case for everyone because I'm sure it isn't, but it's my personal preference.      

I'd check on this with my insurance first.  Not all of them will cover an elective c-section.  Most won't cover it at the same rate as a needed one.

FWIW between myself and 5 friends, we've had 6 inductions and all had vaginal births.  I don't actually know anyone IRL who was induced and ended up with a c-section.

I've got all of the insurance stuff covered.  

And that's interesting about your experiences with inductions and vaginal deliveries - it's the complete opposite.  I don't know anyone IRL who has had a vaginal delivery after being induced! Weird

spacepotatoes

Mimaloo said:

Kimbus22 said:

Mimaloo said:

Everything causes autism these days.  Someone told me a while back that having an epidural will cause autism ::eye roll::.  Either way, I have thought about this one and I plan to refuse pitocin if it's offered to me as an option.  

I would like to deliver vaginally (with an epidural).  If for some reason the doctor thinks induction would be necessary, I'd like to go right for a c-section.  My reasoning for this, however, has nothing to do with the supposed link between pitocin and autism.  I'd forego pitocin because everyone I know (personally) who has been induced has ended up with a c-section anyway.  That's not to say that this is the case for everyone because I'm sure it isn't, but it's my personal preference.      

I'd check on this with my insurance first.  Not all of them will cover an elective c-section.  Most won't cover it at the same rate as a needed one.

FWIW between myself and 5 friends, we've had 6 inductions and all had vaginal births.  I don't actually know anyone IRL who was induced and ended up with a c-section.

I've got all of the insurance stuff covered.  

And that's interesting about your experiences with inductions and vaginal deliveries - it's the complete opposite.  I don't know anyone IRL who has had a vaginal delivery after being induced! Weird

One of my friends who was induced ended up having a c-section after 20 hours of labour that went nowhere.

Another friend was induced for two of her pregnancies and had relatively quick, straightforward vaginal deliveries with both of them.

mileswithmyles

As someone who teaches children with autism, I find this to be a load of crap.  The research we have looked at indicates that there are most likely 2 types of autism, one of which is genetic.  They are not sure what causes the second type.  I will tell you that when I work with my families, around half of the families have another sibling or family member on the spectrum.

So many women are administered pitocin that I find this hard to believe.

ABColeslaw

I'm wondering how many autism hysteria posts I'm going to have to read on this mother effin board.  Really?  Really? I had pit and my son has autism.  If I were irrational, I'd read this shit and start blaming myself for fucking my kid's life.  OR I can concede that my H is a little "odd" and his father is definately on the spectrum and accept the fact that my little boy got a genetic roll of the dice that fell just so. 

I hate these posts.  Newsflash, Autism is and isn't the worst thing that can happen to your child and worrying about it will do nothing to change whether or not your child ends up with it. 

pandadair

IBackBevo said:

I wonder if the Herp causes Autism...

As long as it's not genital warts that causes it. What? I feel like we're all so close now.

baby3ob

I hate this crap. Vaccines cause autism ... pitocin causes autism ... drinking freaking green tea causes autism ... I did/do all these things and my 2yo+ does not have autism.

His(1&only)wife

ABColeslaw said:

I'm wondering how many autism hysteria posts I'm going to have to read on this mother effin board.  Really?  Really? I had pit and my son has autism.  If I were irrational, I'd read this shit and start blaming myself for fucking my kid's life.  OR I can concede that my H is a little "odd" and his father is definately on the spectrum and accept the fact that my little boy got a genetic roll of the dice that fell just so. 

I hate these posts.  Newsflash, Autism is and isn't the worst thing that can happen to your child and worrying about it will do nothing to change whether or not your child ends up with it. 

Amen and so well written.

sthomas1222

@mimaloo if induction comes up ask for your Bishop's score. It takes all the info like if you're dilated, effaced, baby's position, etc... and calculates the chance of induction being successful. I had an awesome Bishop's score and my risk of a c/s was like 4% and I did have a vaginal delivery. Another person in my Bradley group was 41w developed pre-e. The midwives gave her her Bishop's score and they decided together to not bother with the induction and did opt for the c/s. But know that it also isn't absolute. I don't think I would opt for the c/s even if my score was crap b/c you never know what your body is going to do. But that's just me.

baby3ob

Also - pitocin is made from cattle's pituitary glands!? Ew. 

MrsLeanna

I know this is not research so don't anyone jump down my throat. I can only tell you my own personal experience.

I was induced with pitocin for my first delivery, I had no issues. None. I have had 2 epidurals, both times, I felt that the epidural helped speed up my labor. Not necessarily the drugs themselves but the ability to relax. My first labor I went from 4cm to 10cm in an hour after the epi, my second was even less than that. 

If you want an natural a birth as possible because that's your goal, then great! Go for it! But if you want an epidural, don't be afraid to do it. As for pitocin, there are cases where shit happens and induction is necessary, such as pre-e, to name an example. You're not going to jeopardize the health of your child and yourself because you read something on the internet. Birth is unpredictable. You can go in with a plan and hope everything falls into place, but many times, it doesn't and you need to go with the flow and put the baby's health first, even if it means things you didn't plan on. 

Just my two cents. 

typeset

Reading these is exceedingly more obnoxious knowing with clinical certainty your second child is at an increased risk no matter what you do. Because, you know, genetics. 

NorthernGal248

Just my two cents and I'm done.

I think sometimes we just search for something to blame because our world is not perfect. I have never had to raise/be around a child with any sort of special need. I can only imagine how hard it is. I cannot and will not judge those who do have a special needs child that they love, but cannot help.

ABColeslaw

typeset said:

Reading these is exceedingly more obnoxious knowing with clinical certainty your second child is at an increased risk no matter what you do. Because, you know, genetics. 

word

Mimaloo

sthomas1222 said:

@mimaloo if induction comes up ask for your Bishop's score. It takes all the info like if you're dilated, effaced, baby's position, etc... and calculates the chance of induction being successful. I had an awesome Bishop's score and my risk of a c/s was like 4% and I did have a vaginal delivery. Another person in my Bradley group was 41w developed pre-e. The midwives gave her her Bishop's score and they decided together to not bother with the induction and did opt for the c/s. But know that it also isn't absolute. I don't think I would opt for the c/s even if my score was crap b/c you never know what your body is going to do. But that's just me.

Thank you for this @sthomas1222 - I will definitely add this to my notebook (yes, I started keeping a notebook complete with colored flags and all - pregnancy brain is a bish). 

Mimaloo

IBackBevo said:

It's so annoying how many papers/studies there are on this. These researchers are so desperate to publish papers even when their data is garbage. I work in the genetics field and more and more genes are being found that are linked to autism. There's even a well known and described deletion on 16p linked to autism that we didn't know about a few years back. Maybe I'm biased, but genetics sounds like a way more logical explanation to me.

I have a fragile X permutation. Fragile x (fmr1 mutation) is the leading know cause of autism. Yet I wonder how many people even know what fragile X is...

Admittedly I probably never would have known if I hadn't been working with an RE.  He actually took the time to explain what I was being tested for.  I've never heard anything about it since so you're absolutely right - so many people probably don't know.  

So let's blame it on common things instead and create some hysteria.  Fun times.  

ABColeslaw

Don't breathe in the third trimester ladies.  Your babies will be born with the autism.