New Delhi: A.N epidural during labor It’s linked to a 35 percent lower risk of post-birth complications, according to new research published in British Medical Journal complications have been reported to be severe maternal morbidity (smm), these may include heart attack, sepsis (infection-fighting chemicals cause inflammation), and hysterectomy, in which the uterus is surgically removed.

Epidural analgesia, in which anesthetic drugs are delivered through small tubes into a space outside the spinal cord, is recommended for women who are obese, have had more than one child, or are pregnant at term, the researchers said. Women are at risk for SMM due to earlier delivery.

While previous studies have suggested that epidural analgesia in labor may reduce the risk of SMM, researchers, including University of GlasgowHe said the evidence is limited.

For their study, the team used data from Scottish National Health Service More than 5.5 lakh mothers in the country delivered vaginally or through unplanned caesarean section between 2007 and 2019.

More than 1.25 lakh mothers (about 22 per cent) out of 5.5 lakh were given epidural during delivery, and SMM was found in 4.3 cases per 1000 births.

“Epidural analgesia during delivery was associated with a 35 percent reduction in SMM, and showed a more pronounced effect in women Medical indications For epidural analgesia and premature birth” the authors wrote.

“This effect was more pronounced in specific groups, with a 50 percent reduction in risk seen among women with predefined risk factors and a 47 percent reduction among women who had delivered preterm,” they wrote.

The researchers suggested possible explanations for the reduction in risk, including the blunt physical stress experienced by mothers during childbirth. unconsciousness,

The authors acknowledged that the study primarily involved white women delivering in Scotland, which may limit the application of their findings to broader, more ethnically diverse populations or different health care settings.

Additionally, since this is an observational study, no cause-and-effect conclusions could be drawn, he said.

The findings “may serve as a catalyst for initiatives aimed at improving equitable access to epidural analgesia during childbirth, potentially reducing SMM and improving outcomes.” maternal health results across diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds,” the authors wrote.

“Expanding access to epidural analgesia to all women during labor, especially those at highest risk, may improve maternal health,” they wrote.