The effects of epidural analgesia: maternal and fetal outcomes

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of epidural block on the duration of labor and maternal and fetal outcome in patients with labor. Material- METHODS: Seventy-four patients with uncomplicated pregnancies who presented in spontaneous labor to Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Medicine, Gynecology and Obstetrics Department were enrolled in to this prospective study and divided into two groups, given epidural analgesia and control group. In this study, 30 pregnant women who attempted with ≥4cm cervical dilatation and active labour phase were applied epidural analgesia. Clinical characteristics recorded included labor and delivery characteristics, neonatal outcome and pleasent from epidural block. Statistical analyses were done by student’s t and Mann-Whitney U tests. P RESULTS: No significant differences were noted in age, gravidity, parity and gestational age between the two groups. There were no significant differences between the two groups in servical dilatation, labor duration, mode of delivery and intrapartum complication rate. Epidural analgesia revealed no detrimental effects on neonatal apgar scores, cord pH and birth weight. In the group of epidural analgesia 80% of the patients were very pleasent from labor analgesia, 26.7% of control group were very pleasent from epidural analgesia. CONCLUSION: Epidural analgesia has no detrimental effects on progress and outcome of labor, neonatal outcomes, and it gives a comfortable delivery experience to the patient.