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29 years
Dear Doctor, My wife is pregnant and I need to see if it's safe to make epidural, because i am afraid if she got the epidural and the baby will be also affected.If there is a risk for the baby I don't
Jul 2, 2013

Dr. Nemer Charafeddine Obstetrics & Gynecology
the benefit of the epidural clearly outweighs its risk..
before doing the epidural, the anesthetist will ask your wife some questions, and he will explain the adv. vs the disadv.
there is no direct risk on the baby, the only minimal risk is when the patient develops hypotension post-epidural, that can be rapidly corrected by medication and iv fluids
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Dr. Jean Esso Anesthesiology
Nothing is 100% safe but its benefits clearly outweigh the risks. Risks to your wife include infection and spinal headache (very low risk).
Risk to the baby is very low. The fetal distress is directly related to dereased maternal blood pressure which can be fixed with medication or extra IV fluids as Dr. Charafeddine mentioned. Epidural can also cause a longer pushing stage for some women because of the lack of the urge to push. It's not always the case though.
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