Author(s)

Nouéssewa Fanny Maryline Hounkponou¹, Alex Wilfred Peto Tagne¹, Mahublo Vodouhe¹, Roger Klikpezo¹, Aurelle Yeyinou Ahouingnan¹, Hubert Laourou², Hervé Léon Iloki³, René Xavier Perrin⁴

¹Faculté de Médecine, Université de Parakou, Parakou, Bénin.
²Service de Prévention, Association Additions France, Neufchâteau, France.
³Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Brazzaville (CHU-B), Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
⁴Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université d’Abomey Calavi, Cotonou, Bénin.

Introduction: The use of oxytocic plants (OPs) to facilitate childbirth is old and it is a common practice in the world, particularly in northern Benin. Objective: To study the effect of oxytocic plants on the progress of labour. Materials and Method: This was a cross-sectional and analytical study with prospective data collection conducted in the public maternity hospitals of Parakou from 15 July 2022 to 15 August 2022. All the parturients admitted to the maternity units were included. Data were entered and processed using Epi Data 3.1fr, Epi info 7.1.3.3 and Excel 2010. The difference was statistically significant for a p-value of less than 0.05. Results: Of 297 parturients surveyed, 109 had used OPs, representing a frequency of use of 36.7%. The average age was 27.5 ± 8.9 years, with extremes of 17 and 45 years. They were in common-law unions (54.1%), housewives (32.1%), from Muslim religion (53.2%), from Bariba ethnic group and related (30.3%) and from a rural area (60.5%). These parturients were pauciparous (37.6%) and primiparous (44.9%). Six OPs were used by the parturients. These were Hybanthus enneaspermus (40.7%), Schrankia leptocarpa (12.0%), Ceratotheca sesamoides (35.2%), Cassytha filiformis (5.6%), Selaginella lepidophylla (5.6%) and Newbouldia leavis (18.5%). The parturients used the leaves (90.6%) and decoction (97.2%). The administration was oral (99.0%) without precise dosage (85.3%) in the third trimester of pregnancy (84.41%) and facilitated delivery (99.1%). Fon and related ethnic groups (p = 0.014), Yoruba and related ethnic groups (p = 0.031), rural background (p = 0.032) and multiparity (p = 0.04) were the factors associated with OPs use. These parturients had a higher risk of caesarean delivery (p = 0.001; OR = 1.8 [1.23 - 2.65]), dynamic dystocia (p = 0.001; OR = 1.3 [1.12 - 1.49]), burnout syndrome (p = 0.002; OR = 1.1 [1.02 - 1.17]), uterine rupture (p = 0.032; OR = 1.1 [0.97 - 1.17]), rapid labour (p = 0.001; OR = 1.6 [1.38 - 2.00]), and risk of postpartum haemorrhage (p = 0.002; OR = 1.15 [1.05 - 1.27]). In contrast, parturients’ use of OPs was found to reduce the risk of their newborns being transferred to neonatology (p = 0.002; OR = 0.50 [0.31 - 0.79]) and dying at birth (p = 0.021; OR = 0.19 [0.03 - 0.94]). Conclusion: The use of OPs is widespread in Parakou. Several factors were associated with it. This use had a protective effect on newborns. This study shows the need to determine the active ingredients of these OPs and emphasise a safer use of them.

Oxytocic Plants, Childbirth, Benin

Hounkponou, N. , Tagne, A. , Vodouhe, M. , Klikpezo, R. , Ahouingnan, A. , Laourou, H. , Iloki, H. and Perrin, R. (2023) Impact of Traditional Oxytocics on the Course of Labour in Maternity Wards in Parakou (Benin) in 2022. Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 13, 1094-1110. doi: 10.4236/ojog.2023.136094.