Castor oil scrambled eggs to induce labor

Castor is a plant that can be found in tropical regions. Castor beans can grow very tall, and a year-old castor bean can be about 5 meters tall. Its flowering period is also very long, lasting about half a year, and the fruiting period is at least 7 months. Castor beans have a high oil content, so they can be used to make oil. In some places, castor oil is also used for cooking. But some people have heard that scrambled eggs with castor oil can be used to induce labor. Is this true?

Recently at work, a pregnant woman who was past her due date came to ask me if she could buy castor oil in the hospital, because she wanted to eat scrambled eggs with castor oil to induce labor... I was shocked when I heard it and asked her why she wanted to do that. She told me that there was a rumor online about eating scrambled eggs with castor oil to induce labor. She also asked the elderly people in her family, and they said there seemed to be such a folk remedy.

I checked online after get off work and sure enough, there were quite a few articles recommending the use of scrambled eggs with castor oil to induce labor. Some pregnant women even tried it themselves and shared their experiences... But is the folk remedy of "scrambled eggs with castor oil" to induce labor really safe?

1. Let’s first take a look at what castor oil is?

Children who grow up in cities may have rarely seen castor beans. In the past, in rural areas, some people specialized in growing castor beans and made money by collecting castor beans. Castor is a tall annual herb. Castor beans are collected and processed into castor oil, which can be used in medicine, industry, etc. Castor oil is generally not edible directly. Medical castor oil is processed and is a stimulant laxative. If taken correctly under the guidance of a doctor, it has the effect of moisturizing the intestines and promoting bowel movements.

2. What risks may eating scrambled eggs with castor oil pose to the mother and fetus?

As a doctor, I do not recommend or even oppose this method, because scrambled eggs with castor oil may cause serious complications for both mother and child:

1. Uterine rupture

Because the specific mechanism of castor oil scrambled eggs promoting uterine contraction is unclear, and individual sensitivity varies, it is difficult to control the amount. Excessive consumption may cause excessive uterine contraction, and in severe cases, even lead to uterine rupture.

2. Fetal distress

Under normal circumstances, uterine contractions gradually increase from weak to strong, and the frequency of uterine contractions also gradually increases. During this process, the fetus needs a certain degree of adaptation. Scrambled eggs with castor oil may cause sudden and strong uterine contractions, leading to fetal intrauterine hypoxia. Both acute and chronic hypoxia may lead to short-term or long-term complications after the baby is born. Severe acute intrauterine hypoxia may lead to intrauterine fetal death.

The most common method of inducing labor in hospitals is the use of oxytocin, also known as oxytocin. Many people are resistant to this drug, believing that the use of oxytocin will be bad for the baby and that children born after using oxytocin will not be natural births. In fact, this idea is wrong. Intravenous infusion of oxytocin can only induce uterine contractions to a certain extent and increase the sensitivity of uterine muscles. Correct use of oxytocin is conducive to normal delivery. However, incorrect use of oxytocin may lead to excessive uterine contractions, uterine rupture, and in severe cases, the risk of death of both mother and child. Therefore, oxytocin must be used after full evaluation by a professional obstetrician and under the supervision of hospital doctors and nurses and must not be used privately.

In addition, commonly used methods of induction of labor include balloon induction, vaginal induction of labor using drugs that promote uterine contractions and cervical ripening, such as dinoprostone suppositories, etc. Because they are more professional, they will not be introduced in detail here.

In clinical work, many pregnant women often calculate a good date for good luck and ask for induced labor even before the due date. In fact, this practice is not advisable:

Although the current medical definition is that fetuses after 37 weeks are full-term babies, some fetuses are still not fully mature at 37 weeks, especially the lung function is not fully developed. If the baby is artificially induced to be born, it may cause risks such as respiratory insufficiency after birth.

As the saying goes, "a forced melon is not sweet." Natural childbirth still depends on the mother's own oxytocin to a large extent. When the fetus and cervix are not yet mature, the mother's own oxytocin secretion is low, and the exogenous oxytocin is weak, which may lead to failure of induction of labor.

Normal childbirth is something that is difficult to predict accurately. Therefore, even if you choose a good day to induce labor, the fetus may not come out within your planned time.

In short, giving birth is a seemingly simple but complicated thing. During the process of normal delivery, the slightest mistake can cause irreversible serious consequences. Therefore, it is recommended that expectant mothers do not take medicine or folk remedies privately. For the safety of themselves and their babies, they must go to regular hospitals for prenatal checkups and delivery.