What are the risks of epidural analgesia for childbirth?
Risks include severe headaches, inadequate pain relief, and/or allergic reaction to the medication. Epidurals may inhibit the ability to push in some patients, which may increase the chances of a forceps delivery (a procedure which carries its own set of risks). Additionally a sudden, and possibly dangerous, drop in the blood pressure of the mother and/or baby can occur. This can usually be easily treated but, for this reason, periodic blood pressure monitoring is required. Finally, although rare, additional unexpected but severe complications may also occur. Accidental injection into blood vessels resulting in seizures, inadvertant injection into spinal canal causing temporary but total paralysis, a broken needle or catheter which may require surgical removal, post delivery back pain, weakness or paralysis of the lower part of the body, bleeding and/or infection are all unusual but distinct possibilities. We ask all patients considering obstetric anesthesia to attend our Night Out Wit
