The last half century of obstetrical practice has been characterized by unprecedented applications of new chemical substances, technologies and procedures which became popular before they could be tested for long-term consequences. Many obstetrical routines were begun and still continue in use without scientific evidence to justify them, and in some cases, even in spite of scientific evidence disproving their usefulness. Those having early amniocentesis were significantly more likely to have post-procedure fluid leakage, vaginal bleeding, and fetal loss within 30 days. Drug-hormone interactions on neurobehavioral responses in human neonates. While researchers have been studying the hormonal changes which occur in reaction to stress, they have not looked at how these functions are altered by the pain killing drugs used during labor.
Studies continue to report high analgesia use among women giving birth vaginally.
A fresh look at this issue raises concerns that subtle, and perhaps insidious, effects of pain medication may affect immature systems vital to general health, and ultimately behavioral and social development. Drugs could alter stress responses, lower resistance to infection, and impair early social interactions between mothers and infants. The test revealed many significant differences between the three groups. Generally, the more sedatives or narcotics used the lower the neurobehavioral scores. The authors found the short-term effect of obstetrical drugs significant.