VOLUME 9 , ISSUE 1 ( January-December, 2024 ) > List of Articles
Madhurima Bhati, Urvashi Sharma, Prateek Suren, Ishita Agarwal
Keywords : Analgesia, Epidural, Labor
Citation Information : Bhati M, Sharma U, Suren P, Agarwal I. Fetomaternal Outcome of Epidural Analgesia during Labor: A Prospective Study. J Mahatma Gandhi Univ Med Sci Tech 2024; 9 (1):13-18.
DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10057-0254
License: CC BY-NC 4.0
Published Online: 31-12-2024
Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2024; The Author(s).
Background: The pain of childbirth is one of the most severe pains. The fear of pain during childbirth is universally present in all women, more so in nulliparous women. Epidural analgesia is the mainstay technique for labor analgesia. It is a safe and effective method for pain relief during labor without neonatal complications. Local anesthetics are injected into the epidural space, causing numbness of nerves and pain sensation without compromising the ability to move. Materials and methods: A prospective study was done at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur, from December 2022 to December 2023 to assess the fetomaternal outcome of women in labor with epidural analgesia. Aim: To study the fetomaternal outcome of laboring women with epidural analgesia. Primary objective: To study the maternal outcomes of epidural analgesia in terms of pain relief, duration of labor stages, mode of delivery, and other complications. Secondary objective: To study the neonatal outcomes of epidural analgesia in terms of low birth weight, APGAR score, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions, and other complications. Results and discussion: During the study period, 71 patients were included as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. According to this study, epidural analgesia did not increase the incidence rate of instrumental or cesarean delivery. It did not affect the first, second, or third stage of labor. Epidural analgesia did not cause neonatal complications. In the absence of contraindications, epidural analgesia is a safe and effective method for labor pain relief.