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THE EFFECT OF CONTINUOUS LUMBAR EPIDURAL ANALGESIA UPON FETAL ACID‐BASE STATUS DURING THE SECOND STAGE OF LABOUR
Author(s) -
Pearson James F.,
Davies Paul
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1974.tb00417.x
Subject(s) - metabolic acidosis , fetus , medicine , lumbar , epidural block , anesthesia , stage (stratigraphy) , acidosis , acid–base homeostasis , pregnancy , surgery , biology , paleontology , genetics
Summary The effect of continuous lumbar epidural analgesia on fetal acid‐base status in the second stage of labour was investigated. It was found that during the conventionally managed second stage of labour the mother and fetus became progressively acidotic. Although the administration of an epidural block with suppression of the bearing‐down reflex prevented the progressive maternal metabolic acidosis, a cumulative fetal metabolic acidosis was still observed. The possible causes of these findings are briefly discussed.