Maternal and Fetal Ill Effects Administration of oxytocin to the mother during the first stage of labour need not be a routine procedure but recent trends indicate that oxytocin drugs are used to expedite the labour progress. At the same time health care professionals should bear in mind the serious adverse reaction of oxytocin drugs if they are misused. Brown, W.R.(1984),describes the serious maternal and fetal ill effects of oxytocin.