Epidural Could Affect Breastfeeding

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study reveals having an epidural during labor could reduce a woman's ability to breastfeed.

Australian researchers studied 1,280 women who gave birth in 1997. They report 33 percent had an epidural. Of these women, 41 percent had a caesarean section.

Researchers report 93 percent of the women breastfed their baby in the first week after birth. However, women who had epidurals during childbirth were more likely to have problems in the first week and give up before six months, compared to women who did not have an epidural. Women who had an epidural were twice as likely to have stopped breastfeeding by six months as women who did not use an epidural.

The authors conclude the drugs often included in epidurals -- like the opioid fentanyl -- may be linked to breastfeeding difficulties. Additionally, they write women who are higher risk of having problems should be provided with breastfeeding support and assistance.

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SOURCE: International Breastfeeding Journal, published online on Dec. 10, 2006