Effects of Pethidine Use During Childbirth on Newborns – a Single-Center Retrospective Study
SUMMARY In low-income countries, epidural analgesia is not always available during child-birth. Common alternatives include parenteral application of certain opioids such as pethidine. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of peth-idine use during childbirth on vital parameters of the neonates and compare the Apgar scores of the neonates whose mothers received pethidine during labor with those whose mothers did not receive it. This retrospective study included 116 neonates from Mostar University Clinical Hospital. A total of 58 of those neonates’ mothers received pethidine during labor. The women included in this study were most often primiparous (75.9%). Most of them did not have an induced delivery (68.1%) and in half of the mothers, pethidine was used in labor. Female and male neonates were almost equally represented in the sample. The results of the study indicate that pethidine did not affect the investigated variables including the Apgar score, laboratory results (bilirubin and CRP) and transfer to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). A correlation between the use of pethidine, the number of previous births and the mothers’ age was not established. According to our results, the correct application of pethidine (50 mg IV) did not cause any significant adverse effects on the newborns. Neverthe-less, the use of pethidine during childbirth should be carefully considered, as the toxicity of its intermediate norpethidine is not fully known.