Babies’ Health Not Affected by Epidurals: Japan Study

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Anesthetics and medical narcotics used in painless child delivery do not affect babies’ health or drug concentrations in umbilical cord blood, a Japanese study has shown. For painless delivery, designed to reduce labor pain with epidural anesthetic and other drugs, the method of continuously administering drugs was commonly adopted in the past, according to the National Center for Child Health and Development. In recent years, meanwhile, automatic administration conducted at set intervals and injections by the pregnant women themselves performed when they feel pain have become popular methods. A research team led by Arisa Ijuin, a doctor at the center, studied 50 women who were at least 37 weeks pregnant between July and September 2022. The study involved the two methods of administering 7 milliliters of anesthetics and medical narcotics every 45 minutes and having pregnant women administer additional doses on their own volition. The team examined drug concentrations in umbilical cord blood and the drugs’ effects on the health of babies immediately after they were born. The results showed that neither method caused drug concentrations in umbilical cord blood to reach levels that could suppress breathing. In addition, a health assessment index indicated that all newborn babies were in good health. The team said that administering a fixed amount of drugs at a set time may help curb the amount of drugs entering babies’ bodies. On the drugs used in painless delivery, Ijuin said, “We were able to confirm that (umbilical cord blood drug) concentration did not hit levels that would affect the baby.” The study “provides grounds that allow people to choose the option of painless delivery with peace of mind,” she said. The results of the study were published in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia. According to the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the number of painless deliveries has been increasing in the country. Data from the association’s member facilities showed that painless deliveries accounted for 13.8 pct of all deliveries in 2023, up from 5 pct in 2018. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]