Oxytocin

A nine-amino-acid hormone licensed as an injection for labour and postpartum bleeding; nasal-spray trials for trust and autism have mostly not held up.

Also known as: Pitocin, Syntocinon
Area: Hormones
Status: Licensed injection for obstetric use (UK, US); not approved for social or autism use

Articles on Oxytocin

HormonesHuman RCT

Oxytocin: a proven labour drug, and a nasal spray that hasn’t lived up to the hype

Injected oxytocin reliably prevents bleeding after birth. The intranasal ‘trust hormone’ findings have failed to replicate, and the largest autism trial found no benefit.

HPR Editorial · 3 Sept 2026 · 8 min read