Delayed and long-term effects of epidural anesthesia in childbirth: A literature review

Introduction. There is a growing trend towards increasing the use of epidural analgesia during childbirth. Therefore, it is important to explore the delayed and long-term consequences of its application.

Aim. To investigate the association between conditions such as back pain, headache, incontinence (urinary and fecal), postpartum depression, and the use of epidural anaesthesia, as well as any delays in the development of these conditions and their long-term impact.

Materials and methods. Symptomatic analysis of clinical data, including randomized and non-randomized studies, cohort studies, prospective and retrospective analyses, as well as meta-analyses based on the study of the relationship between anesthesia methods used during childbirth and the development of these symptoms. The search was conducted on platforms such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and eLIBRARY.ru for articles that contained information about long-term conditions developing after epidural anesthesia during childbirth. The study did not include descriptions of individual clinical cases, nor did it include studies that reported effects after epidural anesthesia that were not during childbirth.

Results. A number of studies have been analyzed. Despite some contradictory data, an objective review of the information received suggests that manifestations such as back pain, headaches, urinary and fecal incontinence, pelvic floor dysfunction and postpartum depression do not always correlate with the use of epidural anesthesia. These symptoms do not seem to be related to its long-term or delayed effects. While some effects may occur, these can be better classified as short-term. For example, back pain and urinary retention may be experienced. Additionally, there was no statistically significant evidence to suggest that epidural anesthesia reduces the risk of postpartum depression.

Conclusion. Further clinical studies that adhere to rigorous standards of reliability are needed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of this issue.

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