Neonatal wellbeing after elective caesarean delivery with general, spinal, and epidural anaesthesia

A comparison was made of the acid-base and Apgar status of neonates following general (n = 34), spinal (n = 28) and epidural (n = 23) anaesthesia for elective caesarean section. Neonates delivered following spinal anaesthesia were more acidaemic (pH = 7.249) (P < 0.05) than those delivered following epidural (pH = 7.291) or general anaesthesia (pH = 7.296) despite measures taken to minimize hypotension. The percentage of neonates with a 1 min Apgar score > or = 7 was 96% after epidural anaesthesia, 93% after spinal anaesthesia and 75% after general anaesthesia. The difference between epidural and general anaesthesia was significant (P < 0.05). Using these two measures of neonatal wellbeing, epidural anaesthesia provided the most favourable outcome.