Use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological labour pain management techniques and their relationship to maternal and infant birth outcomes: Examination of a nationally representative sample of 1835 pregnant women

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Women use various labour pain management techniques during birth. The objective of this study is to investigate women's use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological labour pain management techniques in relation to birth outcomes. Methods: a sub-survey of a nationally representative sample of pregnant women (. n=1835) from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Results: our analysis identified women's use of water for labour pain management as decreasing the likelihood of their baby being admitted to special care nursery (OR=0.42, p<0.004) whereas the use of epidural increased this likelihood (OR=3.38, p<0.001) as well as for instrumental childbirth (OR=7.27, p<0.001). Epidural and pethidine use decreased women's likelihood of continuing breast-feeding (ORs=0.68 and 0.59, respectively, both p<0.01) whereas the use of breathing techniques and massage for pain control increased the likelihood of women continuing breast-feeding (ORs=1.72 and 1.62, respectively, both p