What we know about pain relief during child birth

baby - skin to skinAlthough epidural anesthesia was first used in the early 1940s, this form of pain relief was popularly used for laboring women until the 1970s. Since then, both health care providers and women have asked all sorts of questions about whether epidurals are safe and effective for women and babies.

A 2011 systematic review published by the Cochrane Collaboration drew a number of interesting conclusions:

  • Epidurals relieved pain during labor better than other types of medication.
  • There was no difference in Caesarean delivery rates among women who used epidurals and those who did not use them. Epidurals did lead to increased use of instruments to assist with the birth.
  • The epidural had no effect on the baby soon after birth. And fewer babies needed a drug to counter opiate use by the mother.
  • Women who used epidurals were more likely to have  longer labors and were more likely to need their labor stimulated with medicine.
  • Women who received epidurals were more likely to have low blood pressure and were unable to move for some time after the birth.  They were also more likely to develop a fever and more likely to have difficulty passing urine.

And just this week a new systematic review investigated the question of the best time to give epidurals to women in labor. This review concluded that it made no difference to the mother or baby if the epidural was given in the early or later stages of labor. In this review, researchers concluded that it’s best to give an epidural for pain relief when the laboring mother asks for it.

On a personal note, I’ve given birth to three children in the past six years. Each of my labor experiences was different, and I was thankful to have a range of options for pain relief. Having data on the safety and effectiveness of epidurals during labor is helpful to any laboring woman, because it provides evidence-based options.

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