Epidural block and the progress and outcome of labour

SummaryA prospective study of 1500 consecutive vaginal deliveries yielded information on 1355 Caucasian patients of whom 405 (30 per cent) had epidural analgesia. The progress of the first stage was assessed by the rate of cervical dilatation.The first stage of labour was lengthened in patients where epidural analgesia had been established in the latent phase compared with those where it was established in the active phase and with those having other forms of analgesia.The early establishment of epidural analgesia was also associated with an increased incidence of forceps deliveries for delay in the second stage, compared with epidurals established later in labour. The incidence of forceps delivery for delay and for fetal distress was higher in patients given epidural analgesia than in those having pethidine.