Is Epidural Analgesia During Labor Associated With Autism?

Autism spectrum disorder in offspring is not significantly associated with the administration of epidural analgesia during labor.

Autism spectrum disorder in offspring is not significantly associated with administration of epidural analgesia during labor as per a study “Association of epidural analgesia during labor with autism spectrum disorder in children”, at the Copenhagen University Hospital, published in the journal Jama Network.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a broad spectrum of disorders due to neurodevelopmental delay. It is primarily characterized by social, communication, and behavioral challenges.

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‘Autism spectrum disorder in offspring is not significantly associated with the administration of epidural analgesia during labor. ’

The nationwide retrospective cohort study was conducted on 479 178 children born in Denmark between January 2006 and December 2013. The study intended to investigate the significant increase of autism risk in offspring of a mother who received epidural analgesia when compared to those who did not receive any epidural analgesia during labor.

Among 485 093 live-born children, 5915 were excluded because of pregnancy-related ad various complications during the first year of life.

It was found that the mothers who received epidural analgesia during labor had no significant relation with an autism spectrum disorder in offspring when compared to those who did not receive the analgesia (incidence rate, 23.1 vs. 18.5 per 10 000 person-years).

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Hence, the study highlights the safer profile of epidural analgesia during labor for both mother and child.

Source-Medindia

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