Oxytocin, brand name Pitocin, has become a largely talked about option for the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The fundamental idea is that Oxytocin is only produced during pregnancy so it is likely that this hormone acts as an attachment stimulator. We have used inter-nasal Oxytocin in our practice with encouraging results. It is not an absolute cure but it seems to help with the “locked in” state that some children exhibit. Safety is always a concern in using medications in children off label and one should always weigh the risk vs. benefits of any treatment.
We have felt safe with prescribing Oxytocin for a couple of reasons. First, Oxytocin is a posterior pituitary hormone very similar to ddAVP that has been used inter-nasaly for bed wetting children for many years. ddAVP has a very low side effect profile and our experience has been the same with Oxytocin use. Secondly, Oxytocin has very straight forward metabolism and short half-life with really no renal or liver toxicity concerns.
One of the reasons for using Oxytocin is that it logically seems to be a safer alternative than other psychoactive drugs commonly given to children. Most of the powerful drugs that are used in children in the field of medicine have not been studied specifically on children, but have been based on adult use. Additionally, Pitocin has been used for years during pregnancy for induction of labor and there has not been any lasting effects on newborns noted.
One should always discuss the risk potential with the benefit potential of Oxytocin use in Attachment disorders. With that said, we are still excited that some endogenous treatment for Autism spectrum diseases is now available to try.