Association of labour epidural analgesia exposure with infant neurodevelopment: secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Evidence regarding the safety of labour epidural analgesia for infant neurodevelopment remains scarce. We conducted a secondary analysis of the Jiangsu Birth Cohort (JBC) to assess the association between labour epidural analgesia exposure and infant neurodevelopment across five domains: cognition, receptive communication, expressive communication, fine motor, and gross motor.

Methods

This secondary analysis included singleton vaginal births from data prospectively collected between 1 November 2017 and 1 October 2022. At 1 yr of age, trained paediatricians assessed infant neurodevelopment using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Screening Test, Third Edition (Bayley-III Screening Test). Infants with raw scores below domain-specific thresholds were

SUBMITTER: Tao S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12597365 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature