Epidural Lowers Post-Delivery Risks in New Mothers 

Epidural Lowers Post-Delivery Risks in New Mothers. Credit | Getty Images
Epidural Lowers Post-Delivery Risks in New Mothers. Credit | Getty Images

United States: Women who received an epidural during delivery appear to be at a lower risk of facing severe postpartum complications in the first few days or weeks after delivery, according to research. 

Epidurals relieve labor pain 

Research published in the May 22 issue of BMJ found that epidurals to relieve labor pain can reduce the risk of side effects such as heart attack, heart failure, blood infection, or hysterectomy by 35 percent in women. 

The risk is even lower for women with risk factors such as obesity, other health issues, or previous deliveries, with an epidural decreasing the relative risk of complications by 50 percent compared to a 33 percent decrease in risk among women without such factors. 

Moreover, the results showed a 47 percent decrease in the risk of preterm delivery among women who received an epidural. 

Epidural Lowers Post-Delivery Risks in New Mothers. Credit | Shutterstock
Epidural Lowers Post-Delivery Risks in New Mothers. Credit | Shutterstock

Rachel Kearns, an anesthesiologist with Glasgow Royal University in the U.K., said, “Encouraging the adoption of, and enhancing accessibility to, epidural analgesia for women in these higher risk categories could be instrumental in improving maternal health outcomes,” as US News reported. 

More about the study 

The study considered data from more than 567,000 women who went into labor between 2007 and 2019. 

The Prevalence of Severe Maternal Morbidity means 21 complications present in a woman during childbirth, and they are also referred to as severe maternal morbidity. 

Still, the analysis reveals that only a small number of women actually avail themselves of epidurals during childbirth. 

Nationwide, the use of epidurals in all women who delivered was only 22 percent, and only 25 percent of women with the highest risk factors of complications were administered an epidural, as indicated in the studies presented. 

Epidurals may help because they minimize flare-ups of the hypothalamic stress responses that occur during labor. These women may also have more action during the childbirth process, and doctors are likely to intervene if necessary. 

The lower usage of epidurals could be attributed to prejudices regarding their safety and necessity, according to the researchers. 

The observations included the level of knowledge that might pose certain barriers to the epidural, such as the idea that it can harm the baby, which was refuted by previous research. 

Additionally, it is indicated that women have the right and privilege to decide whether to take an epidural or not, and there is an argument for doctors to explain to women the need for pain relief during delivery. 

According to the researchers, “These findings substantiate the current practice of recommending epidural analgesia during labor to women with known risk factors, underscores the importance of ensuring equitable access to such treatment, and highlights the importance of supporting women from diverse backgrounds to be able to make informed decisions relating to epidural analgesia during labor,” as US News reported.