[Influence of water immersion on the use of epidural anesthesia during labor]

Abstract

Objective: Immersion in water during labor could reduce pain and use of epidural anesthesia during childbirth. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of immersion in water during labor on the use of epidural anesthesia in a midwife care setting.

Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective study of all women who gave birth in the physiological ward of Saint-Étienne University Hospital between October 2020 and December 2022.

Results: The study did not find difference between immersion group and control group concerning the use of epidural anesthesia (P=0.49). The immersion group counted more women with a duration of labor greater than 6hours than in the control group. The multivariate analysis adjusted for parity and duration of labor did not find difference between both groups [OR 0.58; 95% CI (0.30; 1.09)].

Conclusion: Even if it does not seem to modify the use of epidurals, immersion in water does not seem to increase maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. It represents a therapeutic alternative with reasonable cost to offer for pregnant women who wish to give birth without epidural anesthesia.

Keywords: Accouchement; Anesthésie péridurale; Childbirth; Douleurs; Epidural anesthesia; Immersion; Labor; Pain; Travail; Water immersion.