Pilot study shows better access to epidural analgesia for immigrant women, highlighting the role of language barriers and cultural differences in pain relief options.
( J Anesth Analg Crit Care . 2025;5(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s44158-025-00266-7) The movement of people across borders has created a more diverse patient population in many countries, including Italy, where immigrants account for approximately one-fifth of those giving birth. Research shows that immigrant women are less likely to receive epidural analgesia during labor compared with native patients. This difference is often linked to several issues: healthcare workers sometimes undervalue the pain expressed by immigrant women, language barriers complicate discussions about pain relief options, and cultural differences in expressing pain can lead to misunderstandings between patients and medical staff.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Calabrese et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: