TY - JOUR
T1 - Nipple stimulation in late pregnancy causing uterine hyperstimulation and profound fetal bradycardia
AU - Viegas, O. A C
AU - Arulkumaran, S.
AU - Gibb, D. M F
AU - Ratnam, S. S.
PY - 1984
Y1 - 1984
N2 - The oxytocin challenge test is potentially dangerous to the fetus in that it may cause hyperstimulation of the uterus. This is caused by a reaction of the myometrium to exogenous oxytocin. As an alternative, some investigators have recommended nipple stimulation, which releases endogenous oxytocin. There are, however, disadvantages to this method also. The present authors report three patients in whom nipple stimulation induced marked uterine hypertonus, resulting in profound bradycardia in fetuses otherwise demonstrating reactive heart rate patterns. Patient 1, a 35-year-old Filipino woman, was seen in the 41st week of an otherwise normal third pregnancy. An antepartum cardiotocogram was performed because of recent weight loss. Nipple stimulation during the fetal heart rate recording resulted in uterine hypertonus and a change in fetal heart response from a reactive pattern to profound bradycardia (Fig. 1a). Immediate cesarean section resulted in the birth of a normal male, weighing 3200 gm with Apgar scores of 9 and 10 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. AmnJotic fluid was clear, and there were no placental.
AB - The oxytocin challenge test is potentially dangerous to the fetus in that it may cause hyperstimulation of the uterus. This is caused by a reaction of the myometrium to exogenous oxytocin. As an alternative, some investigators have recommended nipple stimulation, which releases endogenous oxytocin. There are, however, disadvantages to this method also. The present authors report three patients in whom nipple stimulation induced marked uterine hypertonus, resulting in profound bradycardia in fetuses otherwise demonstrating reactive heart rate patterns. Patient 1, a 35-year-old Filipino woman, was seen in the 41st week of an otherwise normal third pregnancy. An antepartum cardiotocogram was performed because of recent weight loss. Nipple stimulation during the fetal heart rate recording resulted in uterine hypertonus and a change in fetal heart response from a reactive pattern to profound bradycardia (Fig. 1a). Immediate cesarean section resulted in the birth of a normal male, weighing 3200 gm with Apgar scores of 9 and 10 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. AmnJotic fluid was clear, and there were no placental.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84939311764&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84939311764
SN - 0029-7828
VL - 39
SP - 685
EP - 686
JO - Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey
JF - Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey
IS - 11
ER -