To investigate the influence of epidural analgesia in pregnancy outcomes of single birth primipara with normal fetal position.

From January to December 2013, a total of 102 cases of single birth primiparas with normal fetal position who requested epidural analgesia in Yan′an University Hospital were enrolled into study group. And another 102 cases of single birth primiparas with normal fetal position who did not receive epidural analgesia in Yan′an University Hospital during the same period were selected as control group by simple random sampling method. The single birth primiparas with normal fetal position in study group were treated with continuous epidural injection of fentanyl for labor analgesia during vaginal delivery. While the single birth primiparas with normal fetal position in control group was not treated with any analgesia during vaginal delivery. If the single birth primiparas with normal fetal position in 2 groups turned to cesarean delivery, they were treated by epidural anesthesia. The cervix dilatation at the time of regular contractions, duration of the first stage of labor, duration of the second stage of labor, numeric rating scale (NRS) score, membrane rupture, usage of oxytocin, mode of delivery, neonatal birth weight and 1, 5 min Apgar scores after birth between the two groups were compared by statistical methods. There were no statistical differences between two groups in the age, body weight, gestational age and body height and so on (P>0.05).

①The duration of first stage of labor in study group was significantly lower than that in control group, and the difference was statistically significant (t=3.46, P=0.003). There were no statistical differences between two group in duration of the second stage of labor and cervix dilatation at the time of regular contractions (P>0.05). The NRS score and pain classification at the time of epidural analgesia for 30 min in study group both were obviously lower than those in control group (at the time of regular uterine contractions), and both the differences were statistically significance (Z=2.45, P=0.021; χ²=8.84, P=0.012). ②The rate of spontaneous delivery was obviously higher than that in control group, while the rate of the cesarean delivery was obviously lower than that in control group, and both the differences were statistically significant (χ²=13.33, 13.60; P<0.001). But there were no significant differences between two groups in the rates of the forceps delivery, use of oxytocin and membrane rupture (P>0.05). ③There were no statistically significant differences between two groups in the neonatal birth weight, 1, 5 min Apgar scores after birth (P>0.05).

Epidural analgesia can reduce the labor pain and the rate of cesarean delivery and shorten the duration of first stage of labor in single birth primiparas with normal fetal position, at the same time it does not lead to the occurrence of neonatal adverse pregnancy outcomes.