Epidural Anesthesia: Drugs Increase Delivery Time by Up to 2 Hours

Statistics show that over 50 percent of women in the United States will request for epidural anesthesia when giving birth. It's considered an excellent method of pain relief during the baby's delivery. However, a recent study shows that for those who receive this shot, they could add an extra two hours to delivery time.

According to lead study author Dr. Yvonne Chenge and colleagues from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), they analyzed data from 42,268 women who delivered children vaginally at UCSF between 1976 and 2008. Statistics showed that around half of the women observed during the study required an epidural for labor pains while the other half did not. They then compared the average length of the second stage of labor in women who delivered a child with the medicine to those who did not.

Findings showed that women who delivered their first child without an epidural went through an average 3.3 hours of birth. For those who received an epidural, it was 5.6 hours-adding on an extra two hours and 19 minutes. The times for those going through childbirth for the second time showed similar results. Those without the epidural took an hour and 21 minutes to deliver while those with it took an average of two hours and 54 minutes.  

"The effect of epidural can be longer than we think and as long as the baby looks good and the women are making progress, we don't necessarily have to intervene (and perform a Cesarean section) based on the passage of time," Cheng said, via Reuters. "All the experts in the field should get together to look at the evidence that's out there and come up with informed definitions."

Despite added delivery time, epidurals still can help alleviate just about the most painful experience in the world. To add to that, they can help women rest if labor is prolonged, they can help keep the birth experience more positive and allow more participation in the process so that the mother is more alert and awake and most of all. Less. Pain.

But there are some downsides, of course, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Epidurals can cause blood pressure to suddenly drop and harm blood flow to the baby during birth. A small percentage of women may experience severe headache caused by spinal fluid leakage. And in some rare instances, permanent nerve damage can result.

With more and more women opting for natural births (which also has its downside) at the end of it all, speaking with your doctor or midwife may be the best solution. 

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.