Effects of Water Immersion Versus Epidural as Analgesic Methods during Labor among Low-Risk Women: A 10-Year...

Adequate pain relief during childbirth is a very important issue for women and healthcare providers. This study investigates the effects on maternal and neonatal outcomes of two analgesic methods during labor: water immersion and epidural analgesia.

In this retrospective observational cohort study at a first-level hospital, in Spain, from 2009 to 2019, 1134 women, low-risk singleton and at term pregnancy, were selected. Among them, 567 women used water immersion; 567 women used epidural analgesia for pain control. Maternal outcomes included mode of birth and perineum condition. Neonatal outcomes included 5 min Apgar score, umbilical cord arterial pH, and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admissions. Chi-square tests and Mann-Whitney U tests, together with their effect sizes (Cramer's V, odds ratio, and Cohen's d) were used to test the main hypotheses.

Spontaneous vaginal birth was almost 17 times more likely in the water immersion group (OR = 16.866 [6.540, 43.480], p < 0.001), whereas the odds of having a cesarean birth were almost 40 times higher in the epidural group (OR = 39.346 [3.610, 429.120], p < 0.001). The odds of having an intact perineum were more than two times higher for the water immersion group (OR = 2.606 [1.290, 5.250], p = 0.007), whereas having an episiotomy was more than eight times more likely for the epidural group (OR = 8.307 [2.800, 24.610], p < 0.001). Newborns in the water immersion group showed a better 5 min Apgar score and umbilical cord arterial pH and lower rates in admissions at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Women choosing water immersion as an analgesic method were no more likely to experience adverse outcomes and presented better results than women choosing epidural analgesia.