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Easing Oxytocin in Early Labour (EASE-OUT) Trial

A Randomised Controlled Trial of Easing Oxytocin in Early Labour: Outcomes for Mothers and Babies - a feasibility study

Status
Completed
Phases
Early Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ANZCTR
Registry ID
ACTRN12622001342707
Acronym
EASE OUT TRIAL
Enrollment
101
Registered
2022-10-19
Start date
2023-09-25
Completion date
2025-09-14
Last updated
2026-05-04

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

This research aims to improve outcomes for mothers and babies when a labour is artificially brought on or induced. Inducing the labour can lead to the baby being stressed and make the labour more painful. If the baby is severely stressed this can rarely lead to stillbirth or brain damage to the baby. This research will use lower doses of medications used to bring on labour, aiming to make it safer for mothers and babies. It could also reduce the chances that a woman has a caesarean section

Interventions

Once informed, written consent has been obtained, participants will be entered into the study. Participants will be subsequently randomized into one of two groups to receive the trial intervention or routine care, either: Intervention: 5IU oxytocin in 1L of normal saline or Comparator (routine dose, standard care): 10IU oxytocin in 1L of normal saline For both groups, doses be administered intravenously and will be titrated in mLs per hour as per NSW Health protocol by the midwife caring fo

Once informed, written consent has been obtained, participants will be entered into the study. Participants will be subsequently randomized into one of two groups to receive the trial intervention or routine care, either: Intervention: 5IU oxytocin in 1L of normal saline or Comparator (routine dose, standard care): 10IU oxytocin in 1L of normal saline For both groups, doses be administered intravenously and will be titrated in mLs per hour as per NSW Health protocol by the midwife caring for the patient. The intervention or routine (comparison) oxytocin preparation will be commenced when the active phase of the first stage of labour is first diagnosed (when there are regular uterine contractions and the cervix is 4cm dilated and the cervix is fully effaced). Regular contractions are considered to be contractions that occur at least every 4 minutes for at least one hour and are considered to be adequate by the midwife caring for the woman in labour. The intervention will be ceased upon birth of the fetus or in the event the trial needs to be ceased and unblinded

Sponsors

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Lead SponsorHospital

Study design

Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Age > 18 years 2. Planned induction of labour using oxytocin

Exclusion criteria

1. A fetus with a known major anomaly 2. “Red-Zone” (abnormal) fetal cardiotocograph according to NSW Health classification 3. Fetal breech, brow or face presentation 4. Clinical suspicion of cephalopelvic disproportion 5. Known or suspected chorioamnionitis 6. Intrapartum haemorrhage greater than 50mL 7. Intrapartum pyrexia greater than 38C 8. Fetal scalp pH less than 7.25 or lactate greater than 4 9. Pre-existing maternal diabetes 10. Previous caesarean section

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ANZCTR · Data processed: May 7, 2026