Oxytocin enhances onset of lactation among mothers delivering prematurely.

In a double-blind group sequential trial the efficiency of an oxytocin nasal spray in enhancing lactation was studied during the first five days after delivery in women who had given birth prematurely. The cumulative volume of breast milk obtained between the second and fifth days after delivery was 3.5 times greater in primiparas given oxytocin than in primiparas given placebo. There was no significant difference in the composition of the milk between the untreated women and those given oxytocin. The results of this study show that oxytocin nasal spray is an effective and safe means of enhancing lactation in women using a breast pump.