Active management of labor for term primigravid women with singleton, vertex presentations is associated with significant decreases in incidence of cesarean section and duration of labor, without adversely affecting major perinatal outcome variables. Concern has been expressed that high-dose oxytocin augmentation may increase the incidence of fetal compromise. With active management of labor, 43% of 1423 primigravid women received high-dose oxytocin augmentation during an 11-month period. Umbilical cord blood gas values from those who received high-dose oxytocin augmentation were compared with values in those who received no oxytocin. The mean arterial pH value in the no oxytocin group was 7.24 +/- 0.07, which is not significantly different (p greater than 0.10) from that of the oxytocin-augmented group, 7.23 +/- 0.07. Similarly, all other arterial and venous umbilical cord gas parameters were unaffected by high-dose oxytocin augmentation (p greater than 0.10). Our values were compared with other published values where labor was not managed according to the principles of active management of labor, and no differences were found. We report the largest series of cord blood pH values in primigravid women and conclude that there is no adverse effect of high-dose oxytocin augmentation or active management of labor on umbilical cord blood gas values at delivery.