Effect of epidural labour analgesia on gastric emptying during labour: A prospective controlled study

Epidural analgesia is frequently used to alleviate labour pain, and dietary management during labour is of crucial importance. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of epidural analgesia for labour on gastric emptying in parturient women.

A total of 70 full-term parturient women were recruited and divided into two groups: the epidural analgesia group (LA, n = 35) and the non-epidural analgesia group (NA, n = 35). Fasting gastric antrum cross-sectional area (CSA0) was assessed using B-mode ultrasonography at T0. Both groups then consumed 300 g of millet porridge (600KJ). Post-meal, CSAs were measured at 60 min (CSA1, T1), 90 min (CSA2, T2), and 120 min (CSA3, T3) using ultrasonography. Pain scores were recorded for both groups at these four time points, and gastric emptying time was noted.

The CSA in the NA group were larger than those in the LA group (CAS₁:11.4 ± 0.8 vs 10.2 ± 0.6;CAS₂:9.3 ± 0.6 vs 8.3 ± 0.5,CAS₃:7.4 ± 0.5 vs 6.5 ± 0.4; P = 0.00). The gastric emptying time in the LA group was shorter than that in the NA group (197.5 ± 27.2 vs. 220.9 ± 29.2, P = 0.00).

Epidural analgesia facilitates gastric emptying during labour. Therefore, the administration of epidural analgesia during labour does not adversely affect maternal dietary preferences.

During labour, women often endure severe pain, prompting the widespread use of epidural analgesia for pain relief. However, the dietary considerations for women opting for epidural analgesia during labour have increasingly garnered attention. Numerous studies have now corroborated that moderate food consumption can supply energy to women without posing any detrimental effects. Our research has observed that epidural analgesia can expedite gastric emptying during labour. Previous clinical experience suggested that patients should not eat before or after anesthesia, but this study shows that even if a parturient opts for epidural labor analgesia, she can still continue to consume a certain amount of semi-solid food to provide energy throughout the labor process, without needing to worry about an increased risk of vomiting.