Effects of neuraxial analgesia technique on labor and maternal-fetal outcomes: a retrospective study

To compare the effects of epidural analgesia (EA) and combined spinal epidural analgesia (SEA) on labor and maternal-fetal outcomes.

We retrospectively identified and included 1499 patients with a single cephalic fetus who delivered at the study center from January 2015 to December 2018 and received neuraxial analgesia at the beginning of the active phase of labor (presence of regular painful contractions and cervical dilatation between 4 and 6 cm). Data including analgesia, labor characteristics, and maternal-fetal outcomes were retrieved from the prospectively collected delivery room database and medical records.

SEA was associated with a shorter first stage of labor than EA, with a median difference of 60 min. On multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis, neuraxial analgesia, gestational age, fetal weight, labor induction, and parity were independently associated with the first stage length: patients in the EA group were 1.32 times more likely to have a longer first stage of labor (95% CI 1.06-1.64, p = 0.012) than those in the SEA group. Additionally, a significantly lower incidence of fundal pressure was performed among patients who underwent SEA (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.34-0.9, p = 0.017). No associations were observed between the used neuraxial analgesia technique and other outcomes.

SEA was associated with a shorter length of the first stage of labor and a lower rate of fundal pressure use than EA. Further studies confirming the effects of SEA on labor management and clarifying differences in maternal-fetal outcomes will allow concluding about the superiority of one technique upon the other.