There has been controversy in the U.S. over the off-label use of the ulcer drug misoprostol (also called Cytotec). Obstetricians routinely use the drug as an inexpensive way to induce labor or abortion.
The benefit of misoprostol is that it frequently induces labor in post-term pregnancies within 24 hours. The controversy involves the potential danger it poses to the health of the mother and child.
Obstetricians say there is little risk involved when the drug is used correctly, while opponents point to possible drug-related infant deaths and uterine ruptures. Many also question whether inducing labor, in many cases, is more a scheduling convenience for doctors than a necessity.
It will be some time before conclusions are drawn. Meanwhile, researchers at the Winthrop University Hospital have found that an old reliable remedy for constipation can effectively and safely induce labor.
Castor Oil
Dr. David Carry and his colleagues tested the impact of castor oil on a group of 100 overdue (40-42 weeks) pregnant women. The women were divided into two groups: one group of 52 was given a single dose of castor oil (60 milliliters), while the other group of 48 received no treatment.
In the following 24 hours, 30 of the castor-oil group began active labor, compared to only 2 of the 48 in the untreated group. Of the 30 in the first group who began labor; 25 had vaginal deliveries. There were no side effects noted. (Altern Ther Health Med 00;6(1):77-79)
The reason that castor oil works so well for this purpose is relatively simple. It is an irritant that stimulates the bowels to produce prostaglandins, which induce labor. An obvious caution, however, is that pregnant women shouldn't use castor oil as a laxative unless a "baby movement" is also what they have in mind.
