Introduction: Labour pains are described by most women as the most excruciating pain they had experienced ever and commensurate to breaking multiple bones together. But safety of epidural analgesia in terms of neonatal outcome has been a controversial aspect.

Aims and Objectives: To study the neonatal outcomes of maternal epidural analgesia during labour, particularly with respect to respiratory depression and need for resuscitation.

Materials and Methods: 100 consecutive cases of normal delivery with epidural analgesia were enrolled at a single center from June’2016 to December’ 2016. Babies born with congenital anomalies, chromosomal disorders were excluded. The cord blood gas, APGAR score, need and extent of resuscitation, NICU admission, Birth asphyxia & neonatal encephalopathy were noted.

Results: 76 women delivered spontaneously vaginally,9 women required assistance in form of vacuum and 15 women were taken for caesarean section. Only 4 babies required active resuscitation in form of Positive pressure ventilation or Delivery room CPAP. 8 newborns required high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) for <1 hour for respiratory distress. None of the babies had a pH of less than 7.  Two babies were admitted in NICU for preterm care and 1 for transient tachypnea of newborn.

Conclusion: There was no evidence of birth-asphyxia or neonatal encephalopathy secondary to maternal epidural analgesia in our study.

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Dr S.P. Senthil Kumar

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