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Numbing news: Early epidural not too
risky
By Jessica
Heslam
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Sue Park
was considering natural childbirth with her first baby, but after a few
hours of ``excruciating'' labor, she wanted an epidural.
``The
doctor said it would be best to wait. They did not want to give me an
epidural early,'' said Park, who got an epidural in the fifth hour of
labor. ``It made all the difference in the world.''
Though
it might be too late for Park, who delivered her fourth child this week at
South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, a new study could make childbirth a lot
less painful for many expecting mothers.
The
study, by Northwestern University in Chicago, found that giving a low-dose
epidural early in labor won't increase the risk of a Caesarean section and
may shorten labor. The study involved about 700 first-time mothers-to-be.
Earlier
research found women who got early epidurals underwent moreC-sections,
possibly because some of the women had underlying problems, like an
unusually big baby, that can cause more pain, researchers said.
The
latest findings, published in today's New England Journal of Medicine,
could lead to hundreds of thousands more early epidurals in mothers-to-be
each year.
``The
concern was always that giving an epidural too early in labor could make
for more complications later on, particularly more Caesarean sections,''
said Dr. William Camann, director of the Obstetric Anesthesia Service at
Brigham and Women's Hospital.
In an
accompanying editorial, Camann wrote that relieving the pain of childbirth
has always been controversial.
``Women
in labor deserve to have as many options as possible at their disposal to
ensure a safe and satisfying birth experience both for themselves and for
their infants,'' Camann wrote.
About
60 percent of women get an epidural, a numbing medicine injected into the
back that relieves pain.
Becky
Foley, 32, got an epidural ``fairly early on'' Tuesday when she delivered
her second boy at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
``It
was great. It was very comforting,'' the Sudbury mom said.
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