The effects on the baby can be connected with the epidural medications as well as the possible side effects of the epidural procedure. Lowering of the blood pressure can
distress the baby, as can the use of an
oxytocin drip to
augment the labour if the contractions slow after the epidural is inserted.
Narcotic medications in an epidural are capable of being absorbed by the baby in the uterus. Depending on the amount and type used, and how long the baby is exposed to the medication before the birth, it has the potential to make the baby lethargic and reluctant to feed in the days following the birth. As mentioned in
narcotic epidurals previously, they can also reduce the 'reactivity' of the
CTG monitoring trace of the baby's heart rate, usually indicating that the baby is 'sedated' in a sense from the narcotic.
Epidural induced fevers in the mother (which becomes more likely, the longer the epidural is used) can have some short term affects on the baby's health. Babies born from mothers who have a fever (over 38
o Celsius) (without an infection), have been shown to have an increased chance of:
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Lower Apgar Scores at birth. |
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Being floppy, having less muscle tone (or hypotonic) at birth. |
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Needing oxygen and resuscitation at birth. |
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Needing transfer to the nursery at birth. |
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On rare occasions experiencing a seizure or fit |
Long term effects on babies have not been proven.
Severe headache
Occasionally, the epidural needle will advance beyond the epidural space and inadvertently pierce the dura mater tissue to reach the spinal canal and the spinal fluid (about 1% of the time). This means that the epidural has then become a spinal anaesthetic.