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Background: Breastfeeding is essential for infants and mothers. Epidural labor analgesia is used frequently to alleviate pain during vaginal delivery. Studies have found that epidural labor analgesia potentially have negative effects on postpartum breastfeeding. However, the efficacy of epidural labor analgesia on early breastfeeding after vaginal delivery is unclear. Therefore, a retrospective analysis was performed to illuminate the efficacy of epidural labor analgesia on postpartum breast feeding., Methods: A total of 392 women who received vaginal delivery in the Second People's Hospital of Foshan from July 2022 to June 2023 were selected for this study, and all women received epidural labor analgesia and were divided into three groups according to the efficacy of labor analgesia. There were three groups: parturients with VAS scores < 3 were divided into Group E (n = 192), parturients with VAS scores 4-6 were divided into Group M (n = 127), and parturients with VAS scores > 7 were divided into Group P (n = 73). The labor process, lactation initiation time, and incidence of delayed onset of lactation were analyzed. The lactation volume and time and LATCH score at 24, 48 and 72 h after vaginal delivery were also analyzed., Results: There was no significant difference in labor process times among the three groups (P > 0.05). The cases of prolactin use in Group M were less than those in Group E and Group P, with a significant difference (all P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in cases of prolactin use between Group E and Group P (P > 0.05). The lactation initiation time in Group M was significantly shorter than those in Group E and Group P (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference in lactation initiation time after vaginal delivery between Group E and Group P (P>0.05). The incidence of delayed onset of lactation in Group M was significantly lower those that in Group E and Group P (all P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of delayed onset of lactation between Group E and Group P (P > 0.05). The lactation volumes at 24, 48 and 72 h after vaginal delivery in Group M were significantly higher than those in Group E and Group P (all P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in lactation volume at 24, 48 and 72 h after vaginal delivery between Group E and Group P (P > 0.05). The lactation times at 24, 48 and 72 h after vaginal delivery in Group M were significantly higher than those in Group E and Group P (all P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in lactation times at 24, 48 and 72 h after vaginal delivery between Group E and Group P (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in LATCH scores at 24, 48 and 72 h after vaginal delivery among the three groups (all P > 0.05)., Conclusions: Compared with labor analgesia with excellent and poor analgesia efficacy, labor analgesia with moderate analgesia efficacy has fewer cases of prolactin use, more lactation volume and time, a shorter lactation initiation time, a lower incidence of delayed onset of lactation and no effect on the LATCH score of breastfeeding., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the impacts of 0.15% ropivacaine alone and 0.15% ropivacaine combined with sufentanil on epidural labor analgesia., Methods: A total of 297 eligible primiparae were randomly divided into group A (n=149, 0.15% ropivacaine + sufentanil) and group B (n=148, 0.15% ropivacaine). Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores prior to analgesia and 20 min following epidural medication, the maximum VAS score during labor, dosage of analgesic drugs, modified Bromage score, satisfaction degree, labor duration, delivery mode, 1-min and 5-min Apgar scores of newborns, adverse reactions during analgesia, and fever during labor were recorded., Results: Group A and B had similar VAS scores 20 min following epidural medication and maximum score during labor (P>0.05), which significantly fell compared with those before labor analgesia (P<0.05). The occurrence rates of nausea and vomiting were of significant difference (P<0.05)., Conclusion: 0.15% ropivacaine alone achieves a comparable epidural labor analgesia effect to that of 0.15% ropivacaine + 0.05 µg/mL sufentanil on primiparae., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 Zhong H et al.)

Objective: To explore the effect of epidural labor analgesia duration on the outcomes of different anesthetic approaches for conversion to cesarean section., Methods: We retrospectively collected the clinical data of pregnant women undergoing conversion from epidural labor analgesia to cesarean section at Sichuan Maternal and Child Health Hospital and Jinjiang District Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital between July, 2019 and June, 2020. For cesarean section, the women received epidural anesthesia when the epidural catheter was maintained in correct position with effective analgesia, spinal anesthesia at the discretion of the anesthesiologists, or general anesthesia in cases requiring immediate cesarean section or following failure of epidural anesthesia or spinal anesthesia. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the cutoff value of the analgesia duration using Youden index. The women were divided into two groups according to the cut off value for analyzing the relative risk using cross tabulations., Results: A total of 820 pregnant women undergoing conversion to cesarean section were enrolled in this analysis, including 615 (75.0%) in epidural anesthesia group, 186 (22.7%) in spinal anesthesia group, and 19 (2.3%) in general anesthesia group; none of the women experienced failure of epidural or spinal anesthesia. The mean anesthesia duration was 8.2±4.7 h in epidural anesthesia, 10.6±5.1 h in spinal anesthesia group, and 6.7 ± 5.2 h in general anesthesia group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that prolongation of analgesia duration by 1 h (OR=1.094, 95% CI : 1.057-1.132, P < 0.001) and an increase of cervical orifice by 1 cm (OR=1.066, 95% CI : 1.011-1.124, P =0.017) were independent risk factors for epidural analgesia failure. The cutoff value of analgesia duration was 9.5 h, and beyond that duration the relative risk of receiving spinal anesthesia was 1.204 (95% CI : 1.103-2.341, P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Prolonged epidural labor analgesia increases the risk of failure of epidural analgesia for conversion to epidural anesthesia. In cases with an analgesia duration over 9.5 h, spinal anesthesia is recommended if immediate cesarean section is not required.

Background: Labor represents a period of significant physical activity. Inefficient energy supply may delay labor process and even lead to cesarean delivery. Herein we investigated whether ingestion of a carbohydrate-rich beverage could reduce cesarean delivery in laboring women with epidural analgesia., Methods: This multicenter randomized trial was conducted in obstetrician-led maternity units of nine tertiary hospitals in China. Primigravidae with single term cephalic pregnancy who were preparing for vaginal birth under epidural analgesia were randomized to intake a carbohydrate-rich beverage or commercially available low-carbohydrate beverages during labor. The primary outcome was the rate of cesarean delivery. Secondary outcomes included maternal feeling of hunger, assessed with an 11-point scale where 0 indicated no hunger and 10 the most severe hunger, and maternal and neonatal blood glucose after childbirth., Results: Between 17 January 2018 and 20 July 2018, 2008 women were enrolled and randomized, 1953 were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The rate of cesarean delivery did not differ between the two groups (11.3% [111/982] with carbohydrate-rich beverage vs. 10.9% [106/971] with low-carbohydrate beverages; relative risk 1.04, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.33; p = 0.79). Women in the carbohydrate-rich beverage group had lower subjective hunger score (median 3 [interquartile range 2 to 5] vs. 4 [2 to 6]; median difference - 1; 95% CI - 1 to 0; p < 0.01); their neonates had less hypoglycemia (1.0% [10/968] vs. 2.3% [22/956]; relative risk 0.45; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.94; p = 0.03) when compared with those in the low-carbohydrate beverage group. They also had higher rates of maternal hyperglycemia (6.9% [67/965] vs. 1.9% [18/953]; p < 0.01) and neonatal hyperglycemia (9.2% [89/968] vs. 5.8% [55/956]; p < 0.01), but none required special treatment., Conclusions: For laboring primigravidae with epidural analgesia, ingestion of a carbohydrate-rich beverage compared with low-carbohydrate beverages did not reduce cesarean delivery, but relieved maternal hunger and reduced neonatal hypoglycemia at the expense of increased hyperglycemia of both mothers and neonates. Optimal rate of carbohydrate supplementation remains to be determined., Trial Registration: www.chictr.org.cn ; identifier: ChiCTR-IOR-17011994 ; registered on 14 July 2017., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Sufentanil combined with ropivacaine is commonly used for epidural labor analgesia, but it may cause some adverse effects. Dexmedetomidine is suitable for long-term and short-term intraoperative sedation and analgesia, and it can reduce the use of the opioid sufentanil. This study compared the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine and sufentanil combined with ropivacaine for epidural labor analgesia., Methods: A randomized, triple-blinded, controlled trial was performed for epidural labor analgesia. All included parturient women were randomized 1:1 by computer to receive ropivacaine combined with dexmedetomidine (group RD) or sufentanil (group RS) from October 2020 to February 2021. The primary outcomes were the pain relief of parturient women assessed by the visual analog scale (VAS) score, and the physical status of newborns assessed by the neonatal behavioral neurological assessment (NBNA) score and Apgar score. Secondary outcomes included the duration of labor stages and adverse reactions of parturient women and newborns., Results: A total of 160 parturient women were included in this study, with 80 in each group. The VAS scores were lower in both groups after the injection of analgesics (in 120 min; RD: 2.6±1.0 vs. RS: 2.5±0.8; P=0.489), and there was no significant difference. The newborns' NBNA (RD: 39.9±0.4 vs. RS: 39.8±0.5; P=0.368) and Apgar scores (RD: 9.8±0.7 vs. RS: 9.7±0.8; P=0.424) were higher than normal standard (NBNA >37; Apgar >7) in both groups, and there were also no significant differences. No differences in parturient women's demographic characteristics, vital signs, Ramsay Sedation Scale (RSS) values, blood loss, duration of labor stages (first and second stages), onset time of analgesia, and dose of analgesics were found between the 2 groups (all P>0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in parturient women and newborns was low in both groups., Conclusions: Dexmedetomidine or sufentanil combined with ropivacaine for epidural labor analgesia had similar analgesic effects in clinical practice., Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000038702.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of extending epidural analgesia following epidural labor analgesia for intrapartum cesarean section, and provide a reference for clinical practice., Methods: Data of 1254 singleton parturient who failed trial of epidural labor analgesia and underwent intrapartum cesarean section were retrospectively included. After entering the operating room, parturient were given 3 ml of 1.5% lidocaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine 15 µg as a test dose, followed by a dose of 10 ml 0.75% ropivacaine plus 5 ml of 2% lidocaine mixed solution was administered via the epidural catheter. Case data were reviewed and analyzed of cesarean section anesthesia implementation methods, results and maternal and neonatal outcomes., Results: Of the 1254 parturient, 4.7% (59 of 1254) underwent general anesthesia directly, 7.1% (89 of 1254) were given combined spinal and epidural anesthesia, and the other 88.2% (1106 of 1254) underwent extending epidural anesthesia, 3.5% (39 of 1106) of them were given general anesthesia after extending epidural anesthesia failed, and 96.5% (1067 of 1106) parturient have a successful extending epidural anesthesia. Adverse reactions of extending epidural anesthesia: 6.7% (72 of 1067) parturient experienced hypotension and 12.1% (129 of 1067) of nausea and vomiting occurred. For the neonatal Apgar scores at 1 min, eleven of 1254 (0.9%) newborns were between 0 and 3 points, 107 (8.5%) newborns between 4 and 7 points, and 1136 (90.6%) newborns Apgar scores between 8 and 10 point. 24 (1.9%) newborns with Apgar scores between 4 to 7 points at 5 min transferred to the department of neonatology, and the rest 1230 (98.1%) newborns with Apgar scores 8-10 points., Conclusion: Extending epidural analgesia using the well-functioning epidural catheter for epidural labor analgesia might be a reliable and effective anesthetic method for intrapartum cesarean section.

Background: Whether epidural administered sufentanil combined with low-concentration ropivacaine affected labor progress as well as maternal and neonatal outcomes still remained unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of epidural sufentanil plus ropivacaine on maternal and neonatal outcomes., Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. Data of singleton full-term pregnancy women who received epidural labor analgesia for vaginal delivery from May 2018 to June 2020 were collected. Parturients were divided into two groups (the R group and the SR group) according to different medication regimens for epidural labor analgesia. The implementation of epidural analgesia during labor was performed with 0.167 % ropivacaine in the R group and 0.1 % ropivacaine in combination with 0.5 µg/ml sufentanil in the SR group. The primary outcome of our study included the duration of labor progress and the incidence of maternal fever, postpartum hemorrhage, fetal distress and neonatal Apgar scores less than 7 at 1 and 5 min. The secondary outcome included the incidence of episiotomy, instrumental delivery, caesarean section and grade III meconium-stained amniotic fluid., Results: There were a total 3778 deliveries during the study period, 1994 and 1784 parturients were included in the R group and in the SR group, respectively. The length of the first stage of labor was remarkably shorter in the R group in comparison to the SR group (548.0 ± 273.0 vs. 570.9 ± 273.0, P = 0.013). No significant difference was found in the incidence of maternal fever, postpartum hemorrhage, fetal distress and in the neonatal Apgar scores less than 7 at 1 and 5 min between two groups. Other Maternal outcomes were comparable in the R group and the SR group., Conclusions: 0.5 µg/ml sufentanil plus 0.1 % ropivacaine for epidural labor analgesia prolonged the duration of the first stage of labor, but did not have additional impact on maternal and neonatal outcomes compared with the sole 0.167 % ropivacaine., Trial Registration: Clinical Research Information Service with registration number ChiCTR2100045162 . Registered 7 April 2021., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objective: α2‑agonists and opioids have been used as intrathecal adjuvants to local anesthetics for several years, but the effect of intrathecal dexmedetomidine (Dex) or sufentanil combined with epidural ropivacaine in labor analgesia is not fully understood., Methods: A total of 108 parturient women receiving combined spinal-epidural labor analgesia were randomly divided into three groups. Group C received l mL saline (0.9%) intrathecally, Group D received 5 µg Dex intrathecally, and Group S received 5 µg sufentanil intrathecally. All parturient women then received 0.1% epidural ropivacaine and 0.2 µg/mL sufentanil for patient-controlled epidural analgesia with standard settings. The visual analog scale score, onset time, duration of intrathecal injection, local anesthetic requirements, and side effects were recorded., Results: The labor analgesia effects in Groups D and S were better than those in Group C. Groups D and S displayed significantly shorter onset times, longer durations of intrathecal injection, and reduced local anesthetic requirements compared with Group C. The incidence of shivering and pruritus in Group D was lower than that in Group S., Conclusion: Intrathecal administration of 5 µg Dex could improve epidural labor analgesia effects.This randomized controlled clinical trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Registry Center (ChiCTR-1800014943, http://www.chictr.org.cn/).

Background: Continuous epidural infusion (CEI) can provide analgesia during labor. The dural puncture epidural (DPE) technique is used to accelerate the onset of neuraxia anesthesia. The primary objective of this study was to compare the percentage of patients that received adequate labor analgesia following an injection of 0.08% epidural ropivacaine via the DPE and CEI techniques combined with the PIEB mode of maintenance., Methods: Patients who were laboring were randomly allocated to receive either CEI + PIEB or DPE + PIEB. Subjects indicated a VAS score immediately prior to epidural placement, and parturients with a VAS score of ≤50 mm were excluded. A 25-gauge needle was used for dural puncture. Analgesia was provided with 10 mL of 0.08% ropivacaine and 0.4 μg/mL of sufentanil, and was maintained at 10 mL/h in both groups with the same solution. All pumps were programmed for patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) boluses of 5 mL with a 20-minute lockout. VAS measurements were collected at 2-minute intervals for up to 20 minutes after initiation of the epidural bolus. The median time to adequate analgesia was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models., Results: Data were collected and analyzed from 200 participants (n=100 per group). Adequate analgesia at 10 minutes was higher in the DPE + PIEB group compared to the CEI + PIEB group (DPE + PIEB =58.4% vs. CEI + PIEB =41.6%; P=0.007). The DPE + PIEB group also had a shorter median time to adequate analgesia [median (95% confidence interval (CI), 8 minutes (7-9 minutes) vs. 12 minutes (10-14 minutes)] compared to the CEI + PIEB group [hazard ratio (HR) =1.488; 95% CI, 1.105-2.002; P=0.002]., Conclusions: The percentage of parturients with adequate analgesia at 10 minutes was higher with DPE + PIEB compared to CEI + PIEB. Furthermore, the DPE + PIEB mode was associated with a faster time to a VAS score ≤30 mm.

Purpose: Worldwide, there are only few studies focusing on labor analgesia on the MLAC (minimum local analgesic concentration) or EC50 (median effective concentration) of sufentanil and ropivacaine. Therefore, we determine the MLAC or EC50 of sufentanil and ropivacaine for epidural analgesia by using an up-down sequential allocation and survey its adverse effect in a prospective blinded randomized trial., Methods: Sixty nulliparous full-term parturients who required labor analgesia were recruited and randomly divided into the sufentanil and ropivacaine groups. The formulation was 25 μg sufentanil combined with 0.1% ropivacaine (added 0.9% normal saline to 75 ml). According to the response of a previous parturient, the dosage of sufentanil was increased or decreased by 5 μg in the sufetanil group; meanwhile, we also administrated an initial concentration of 0.1% ropivacaine combined with 22.5 μg sufentanil (added 0.9% normal saline to 75 ml) in the ropivacaine group. The concentration of ropivacaine was increased or decreased by 0.01% following the response of the previous parturient. The Brownlee up-down sequential allocation was used to estimate the MLAC of epidural ropivacaine and its 95% confidence intervals in labor analgesia., Findings: There were no significant changes for the two groups, including for age, height weight, active stage, second stage of labor, and gestational weeks (P = 0.769, 0.900, 0.603, 0.441, 0.577, and 0.695, respectively). The VAS scores of the parturient decreased to varying degrees (P < 0.0001) after labor analgesia compared with VAS before labor analgesia, and the most effective analgesia was reached in 60 min. The EC50 dose of epidural ropivacaine combined with 0.3 μg/mL sufentanil was 0.09687%, and the 95% CI was 0.08944%~0.1043%. Five parturients had PONV, and the incidence rate was 16.7%; one parturient had pruritus, so the incidence rate was 3.3%. The EC50 dose of epidural sulfetanil combined with 0.1% ropivacaine was 18.76 μg with a 95% confidence interval of 13.5-24.48 μg. There were no significant differences in the active stage, second stage of labor, and maternal and fetal hemodynamic data between the two groups. Notably, the Apgar scores for 1 min and 5 min were 10 scores for almost all of these patients. There were no significant differences between the two groups for maternal and fetal side effects, which had very low incidence rates., Implications: The MLAC of epidural sufentanil or ropivacaine could provide satisfactory and safe analgesia for parturients while having a low incidence rate of side effects., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate different types of regional anesthesia for cesarean section (CS) following epidural labor analgesia that could lead to various perioperative and postoperative outcomes., Methods: We retrospectively included those parturients who received epidural labor analgesia but needed subsequent CS under regional anesthesia in our institution from January 2008 to June 2012., Results: In all, 2341 of 6609 parturients underwent painless labor, and 334 of them converted to CS. Spinal anesthesia (SA) was used with 163 parturients, and epidural anesthesia (EA) with 96; the two groups were then compared. No high-level block or total SA was noted. The primary outcome revealed that the time from anesthesia to surgical incision and the total anesthesia time were shorter, hypotension episodes were more frequent, the rate of perioperative ephedrine administration was higher, and the rate of midazolam was lower in the SA group. With regard to secondary outcomes, the Apgar scores of the neonates recorded at 1 minute and 5 minutes and maternal satisfaction were similar. The neuraxial morphine dose was converted to parenteral morphine equivalent dose (MED), which revealed that the parturients in the spinal morphine group had lower dosages and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores on postoperative Day 1., Conclusion: For parturients with labor epidural analgesia needing CS, the use of SA led to shorter anesthetic time and lower postoperative pain scores, with lower morphine doses compared with EA. However, the high failure rate with both neuraxial techniques needs to be addressed., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.)