Clinical Use of Continuous Epidural Analgesia in Vaginal Deliveries

Birth pain represents a great problem for about 20% of childbearing women that due to unsupportable pain cooperate poorly or do not cooperate at all. Stress caused by pain influences birthing process and the state of fetus. Continuous epidural analgesia (EA) provides many advantages in comparison to other techniques to relieve birth pain. Use of EA has significantly increased in the world over the last 10 years. While everyone agrees that EA reduces the intensity of birth pain, everything else is still a subject of a lively debate. Particularly controversial are results of the research related to the operative deliveries. Therefore, the authors investigated intrapartum, postpartum and neonatal effects of continuous EA and discuss the most important results of this well-planned clinical research. This book provides basic information but also a modern insight on this relevant topic, that could help in everyday obstetric practice. The authors recommend an active and individualized approach that respects diversities and specificities of each childbearing woman. The content of the book is intended for obstetricians, anesthesiologists, family doctors, but also the general reading public.