ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Neonatology
Dose–response relationship between oxytocin exposure during labor induction and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia
Provisionally accepted
- Huadu District Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangzhou (Huzhong Hospital), Guangzhou, China
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Objective: This study aims to investigate the association between maternal oxytocin dosage and the risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Methods: A total of 500 mothers and their neonates were retrospectively included. Based on the cumulative oxytocin dose, participants were divided into a low-dose group (n = 168), a moderate-dose group (n = 167), and a high-dose group (n = 165). Baseline characteristics and perinatal outcomes of mothers and neonates were compared across groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of oxytocin dosage on the risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Sensitivity analysis was conducted by excluding neonates with abnormal gestational age. Results: The overall incidence of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia was 10% (50/500), with rates of 2.98%, 8.98%, and 18.18% in the low-, moderate-, and high-dose oxytocin groups, respectively. High-dose oxytocin significantly increased the risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (odds ratio [OR] 7.933, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.923–21.527, p < 0.001), while the moderate-dose group also showed an elevated risk (OR 3.034, 95% CI 1.059–8.692, p = 0.039). Maternal body mass index (BMI) was negatively associated with the risk (OR 0.847, p = 0.003). The dose–response curve demonstrated a clear positive correlation between high-dose oxytocin exposure and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia risk (p < 0.05). Sensitivity analysis excluding neonates with abnormal gestational age yielded results consistent with the full-sample analysis. Conclusion: Increased oxytocin dosage during labor induction is significantly associated with a higher risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Clinicians should be alert to the potential risk of bilirubin elevation in neonates exposed to high-dose oxytocin.
Keywords: Oxytocin, Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia, dose–response relationship, Obstetrics, Perinatal risk factors
Received: 28 Sep 2025; Accepted: 11 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liang, Liang, Zhong, Yue and Jiang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiaocui Jiang, m13798177220@163.com
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