What type of feedback regulates oxytocin release during labor?

• A. Positive feedback
• B. Negative feedback
• C. Feed-forward control
• D. Homeostatic feedback

Answer: (A)

Labor is driven by a positive feedback loop. Cervical stretching and fetal pressure trigger the release of oxytocin from the posterior pituitary, which increases the strength of uterine contractions. Those stronger contractions cause more cervical stretch, leading to even more oxytocin release and even stronger contractions. This self-amplifying cycle continues until birth occurs, at which point the stimulus (cervical stretch) diminishes and the loop ends. Negative feedback would oppose changes and stabilize conditions, which is not how labor progresses. Feed-forward control would be anticipatory, not driven by the actual stretch signals, and homeostatic feedback describes maintaining internal stability rather than driving a progressive event like labor.