The effect of intraumbilical oxytocin on the third stage of labor.

To determine whether intraumbilical oxytocin would shorten the third stage of labor, we enrolled 50 normal parturients into a randomized, double-blind protocol. Either 10 U of oxytocin diluted to 20 mL in normal saline (25 subjects) or 20 mL of normal saline alone (25 subjects) was injected into the placental circulation within one minute after cord clamping. The mean (+/- SD) duration of the third stage was 4.1 +/- 2.0 minutes in saline-treated subjects and 4.6 +/- 3.4 minutes in those treated with oxytocin. Intraumbilical oxytocin was not effective in shortening the normal third stage of labor.