BMJ  2004;328 (12 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7453.0-e

Epidural analgesia does not increase risk of caesarean intervention

Epidural analgesia is unlikely to increase the risk of nulliparous women having to have a caesarean section. Pooling data from seven trials, Liu and Sia (p 1410) found that women who had had epidural analgesia with low dose bupivacaine were more likely to have an instrumental vaginal delivery, but not a caesarean section. Women receiving epidural analgesia had a longer second stage of labour and needed oxytocin more often, but they had better pain relief.

Credit: BSP LAURENT/SPL


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Relevant Article

Rates of caesarean section and instrumental vaginal delivery in nulliparous women after low concentration epidural infusions or opioid analgesia: systematic review
E H C Liu and A T H Sia
BMJ 2004 328: 1410. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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