Authors : Anupama M K, Anupama M K
DOI : 10.18231/j.ijca.2019.041
Volume : 6
Issue : 2
Year : 2019
Page No : 220-223
Introduction: Labour analgesia is being preferred by the parturient women these days due to increased awareness, comfortness and low threshold to perceive pain. The effects of epidural and parenteral analgesia on duration and mode of deliveries have been studied since last few decades.
Aim was to study the effects of epidural labour analgesia on the duration of labour, mode of delivery, fetal outcome and patient satisfaction and comfortness. This was a prospective, comparative and observational study.
Material and Methods: One hundred parturient women with full term single live gestation with vertex presentation with spontaneous onset of labour, meeting the inclusion criteria were divided into two groups.
Group C: Parturient women who opted out of labour analgesia were taken as controls.
Group E: Parturient women who opted for labour analgesia were taken as cases.
Statistical Analysis: Independent- Samples t test, Cross tabs and Repeated Measure ANOVA were used. SPSS for windows (version 17.0) was employed for data analysis.
p<0>
Results: Demographic parameters like age, weight, height, BMI were comparable between the two groups E and group C (p>0.05)
The gestational age between the groups C and E were comparable as p >0.05
No significant difference in Bishops score between Group E and Group C (p>0.05)
There was no difference stastistically in terms of mode of delivery (Normal delivery, Instrumental delivery, Caesarean delivery) between the groups.
Instrumental delivery was seen more in group E. No change in normal or ceasarean deliveries. Shortening of active phase was seen in group E (P <0>nd hour). Prolonged second stage of labour was seen in group E (P=0.001) which is statistically significant.
Decreased pain score in group E with p value of 0.006 which is highly significant statistically. There was improvement of APGAR at 1 minute in group E with significant p value. No significant difference between the groups for APGAR score at 5 minute.
No significant difference between the groups in terms of requirement of NICU admission.
Conclusion: Many safe techniques are available for parturient women to bypass the painful labour process and enjoy the birth of the baby. Labour analgesia is one of the most commonly used method in developed countries. Due to lack of awareness and false perception of ending up in caesserian sections, labour analgesia has not gained much popularity in India. Our study aims to study the incidence of casserian sections, instrumental deliveries and the effects of labour analgesia in newborns.
Epidural is a regional technique which is safe as to reduce the labour pain and to experience the joy of motherhood, without pain. The prs and cons of labour analgesia should be explained to al labour women and to be given an option of opting it to enjoy the process of painless labour.
Keywords: Epidural, Labour analgesia, Fetomaternal outcome, Instrumental deliveries, Parturient women caesarean section, Bishop’s score, APGAR score, NICU.