Can an epidural cause fetal bradycardia?
It is concluded that administration of epidural analgesia is significantly associated with episodes of prolonged fetal bradycardia, but that there is usually a return to pre-epidural patterns.
Can spinal anesthesia cause fetal bradycardia?
Although it is known that fetal bradycardia caused by labor analgesia induction does not usually increase the risk of emergent operative deliveries [3], we experienced a case of persistent fetal bradycardia after uneventful spinal analgesia, which led to an emergency cesarean section.
What is a common cause of fetal bradycardia?
The most common causes of intrapartum bradycardia include poor uterine perfusion, maternal hypotension (e.g. after epidural placement), umbilical cord prolapse or occlusion, rapid fetal descent, tachysystole, placental abruption, or uterine rupture.
What is low fetal heart rate?
A normal fetal heart rate is between 110 and 160 beats per minute (bpm). Fetal bradyarrhythmia is generally defined as a sustained heart rate less than 110 beats per minute.
What is bradycardia in Labour?
By RANZCOG Intrapartum Fetal Surveillance (IFS) Guideline 20141 definition, a fetal bradycardia is a fetal heart rate (FHR) below 100 beats per minute (bpm) for more than five minutes. This is a simple definition and one which is reasonably consistent in the literature.
How does maternal hypotension affect the fetus?
Hypotension during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of stillbirth (7), as well as pregnancy complications such as preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), meconium stained fluid, and postpartum hemorrhage (8). The lower the blood pressure, the higher the risk of poor pregnancy outcome.
What causes maternal hypotension?
Hypotension is a common complication of SA. The maternal supine position can cause several pressure-related symptoms, such as hypotension due to the compression of the inferior vena cava by the uterus, particularly in the second and/or the third trimester of the pregnancy [7].
Can a fetus survive with a low heart rate?
Conclusion: An embryonic heart rate of 90 beats per minute or less early in the first trimester carries a dismal prognosis, with a very high likelihood of fetal demise before the end of the first trimester. Demise occurred in all embryos with heart rates less than 70 beats per minute.
Do epidurals affect the baby?
Any medication that a woman uses during labor enters the child’s body as well, through the umbilical cord. This includes painkillers and anesthetics delivered through epidurals. But anesthetics don’t have a stronger effect on the baby than other painkillers that might be considered for use during childbirth.
What are the long term side effects of an epidural?
The most frequently reported maternal effects of epidural or spinal analgesia are prolonged symptoms of headache, backache and neurological sequelae. Large retrospective studies of postpartum symptomatology have focused on correlations with regional nerve blockade rather than on other more commonly used analgesics.