Epidural analgesia during labor was not linked with neonatal neurological morbidity or other adverse neonatal and pediatric outcomes.Epidurals are the most effective pain relief in labor but their impact on neonatal health remains understudied.This study was among Scottish women, who opt for epidural analgesia at far lower rates than U.S. women.
Epidural analgesia in labor was not linked to adverse neonatal neurological outcomes, a Scottish cohort study found.
An analysis of nearly half a million deliveries found no association between epidural analgesia in labor and neonatal neurological morbidity (adjusted relative risk [aRR] 0.87, 95% CI 0.68-1.12), reported Rachel Kearns, MBChB, MD, of Glasgow Royal Infirmary in Scotland, and colleagues.
Neonatal neurological morbidity occurred in 434 infants (0.9 per 1,000 births; 95% CI 0.8-1.0) and those who had an epidural had lower rates compared to those who didn't have epidural analgesia (crude event rate 0.07% vs 0.09%), the researchers wrote in The BMJ.
Moreover, there was no link between epidural use and other adverse outcomes:Other severe neonatal morbidity: (aRR 1.17, 95% CI 0.90-1.51)Neonatal sepsis: (aRR 1.11, 95% CI 0.90-1.37)Apgar score <4 at 5 minutes: (aRR 0.97, 95% CI 0.87-1.09)Neonatal mortality at 28 days: (aRR 0.81, 95% CI 0.62-1.06)Cerebral palsy in childhood: (aRR 0.80, 95% CI 0.60-1.06)
