Background: Labour is one of the most painful experiences women encounter during their lifetime and the experience is different for each women. Aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of low dose intrathecal labour analgesia using fentanyl, bupivacaine and morphine on maternal and fetal outcome.Methods: 100 parturients with uncomplicated pregnancy in spontaneous or induced labor at cervical dilatation 4-6cm were enrolled for the study. They were randomized into two groups of 50 each, using computer based block randomization. Group 1 (N=50) received intrathecal labor analgesia using. Fentanyl (25µg), bupivacaine (2.5mg) and morphine (250µg) and Group 2 (N=50) received programmed labor. The two groups were well matched in terms of age, weight, height, parity, baseline vitals and mean cervical dilatation at the time of administration of labor analgesia . Progress of labor, duration of analgesia, and neonatal APGAR score were recorded. Feto-maternal and neonatal outcomes were studied and compared between the two groups.Results: The mean duration of analgesia in group1 was 238.96±21.888 min whereas the mean duration of analgesia in group 2 was 98.4±23.505 min. The difference was significant P value 0.00. One out of 50 (2%) of the parturients required rescue analgesia in Group 1. On the contrary all 44 parturients in Group 2 required rescue analgesia. Difference was significant (p value=0.00) However duration of the stages of labor, operative and instrumental deliveries and APGAR score did not differ in the two groups.Conclusions: Single shot intrathecal labor analgesia is a safe, effective, reliable, cheap and satisfactory method of pain relief for labor and delivery. Moreover, it is devoid of major side effects.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.