Information for PatientsKeeping You and Your Baby Safe and Comfortable Before, During, and After DeliveryAs the voice of obstetric anesthesiologists, the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) provides trustworthy, high-quality answers to all your questions about managing pain before, during, and after delivery. Our information has been written and reviewed by experts in caring for pregnant patients throughout the delivery period. Our newest resources include SOAP informational brochures and flyers to help answer questions about your delivery and anesthesia care. Click on the titles below to download the information. NEW: Enhanced Recovery After Cesarean Delivery (ERAC) Information for Patients Download the infographic (PDF) Preparing For Your Delivery: When do you need to talk to an Anesthesia Provider? I Had an Epidural That Didn't Work Download Full Brochure (PDF) Headache After Childbirth After an Epidural or Spinal Download the brochure (PDF) Nitrous Oxide for Labor Pain Download the full brochure (PDF) Information About Labor Epidurals: Your Questions Answered
Information about Anesthesia for your Cesarean Delivery: Your Questions Answered
Download the full brochure (PDF) - English Your Questions Answered: Alternatives to Epidural Pain Relief for Labor NewsLabor Epidurals Do Not Cause Autism; Safe for Mothers and Infants
Added October 1, 2021: Findings from 2 new population-based studies in JAMA do not provide supportive evidence for an association between epidural labor analgesia and autism spectrum disorder in children.
Added April 21, 2021: SOAP was gratified to receive notification from SOAP members Dr. Brian Bateman and Dr. Alex Butwick that additional research on this critical issue has been published in JAMA Pediatrics. The findings of these comprehensive research studies, published April 19, 2021, found no association between autism and labor epidurals for pain relief. This reinforces our previous statement that labor epidurals are safe. Here are links to the e-published research studies:
In October 2020, SOAP reassured pregnant women that the article “Association Between Epidural Analgesia During Labor and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Offspring,” a retrospective database study published in JAMA Pediatrics on October 12, 2020, did not provide credible scientific evidence that labor epidurals for pain relief cause autism. SOAP jointly released a statement with the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and provided the following resources.
Helpful LinksThe safehealthcareforeverywoman website provides additional helpful resources. SOAP is proud to be a supporting organization of the Council on Patient Safety in Women’s Health Care. VideosPain Management During Childbirth (external link, YouTube) The Gentle C (external link, YouTube)
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