Effect of Pethidine Administered During the First Stage of Labor on the Infants

Background: Pethidine is used for pain relief in the first stage of labour in many countries, and it is accepted as standard obstetric management in Turkey. This study is conducted to determine the effect of analgesics that are administered to mothers intramuscularly at the first stage of the labor on health state of the infants. Methods: This cross-sectional controlled study was conducted between 1 June 2010 and 30 May 2011 in the Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children’s Teaching Hospital of th Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health Istanbul, Turkey. The population of the study consists of 1550 mothers who had normal labor and their infants, the sample consists of 245 mothers and their infants who are suitable for the criteria of sample. Sample size, was selected are on the same dates and normal mothers who gave birth were identified at random from among. Their babies were observed in terms of health condition both during the labor process and the first 24 hours after the birth. Then mothers’ files were reviewed and determined in terms of administered analgesics during the first stage of labor. Pethidine the case group was comprised of mothers and babies and Pethidine not applied as the control group of mothers and babies. Results: Case and control group mothers were similar in terms of demographic and obstetric features. The average apgar scores of the case group infants were found to be significantly lower than the control group infants during the 1st to 5th minutes after their birth. The sucking and rooting reflexes of infants in the case group were unsatisfactory when compared to the control group. Conclusions: Intramusculer Pethidine analgesia during the first stage of labor negatively impacted the apgar scores of newborns. The present work was supported by the Research Fund of Istanbul University. Project No. 6556