Epidural analgesia in labour: separating fact from fiction for

Br J Anaesth · Aug 2024

Editorial

Epidural analgesia in labour: separating fact from fiction for autism and neurodevelopment.

Having epidural analgesia in labour has been associated with a later diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in the offspring, resulting in concerns about childhood wellbeing. Neurodevelopmental changes are inconsistently reported in the literature, creating challenges in the interpretation of these findings. Here we explore the limitations of the current evidence base, and why findings differ between studies, concluding that the current body of evidence does not support a causal association between use of epidural analgesia in labour and autism spectrum disorder.

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- Rachel J Kearns, Scott M Nelson, and Steffen Rex.
- Department of Anaesthesia, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK. Electronic address: rachel.kearns@glasgow.ac.uk.
- Br J Anaesth. 2024 Aug 1; 133 (2): 247254247-254.
AbstractHaving epidural analgesia in labour has been associated with a later diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in the offspring, resulting in concerns about childhood wellbeing. Neurodevelopmental changes are inconsistently reported in the literature, creating challenges in the interpretation of these findings. Here we explore the limitations of the current evidence base, and why findings differ between studies, concluding that the current body of evidence does not support a causal association between use of epidural analgesia in labour and autism spectrum disorder.Copyright © 2024 British Journal of Anaesthesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Epidural analgesia in labour: separating fact from fiction for autism and neurodevelopment.

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