Association of Labor Epidural Analgesia With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

A recent cohort study found that epidural analgesia during labor was associated with an increased risk of autism in offspring.

Objective

To investigate if labor epidural increases the risk of autism in offspring.

Design, setting, and participants

This nationwide retrospective cohort study identified all live-born children in Denmark between January 2006 and December 2013. Follow-up commenced at children's first birthday and ended in December 2017. Among 485 093 live-born children, 5915 were excluded because of occurrences during the first year of life including death, emigration, misregistration of birth, diagnosis of disease inherently linked to autism, or diagnosis of autism.

Exposures

Administration of epidural analgesia during labor, as identifie

SUBMITTER: Mikkelsen AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8479581 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature