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Zamstein O, Sheiner E, Binyamin Y, Pariente G, Wainstock T. Examining the relationship between autism spectrum disorder in children whose mother had labour epidural analgesia for their birth: A retrospective cohort study. Eur J Anaesthesiol 2024; 41:282-287. [PMID: 38084085 DOI: 10.1097/eja.0000000000001932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Controversy exists regarding the association between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children whose mother had labour epidural analgesia for their birth, as the few existing investigations have reported mixed findings. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the possibility of an association in our heterogeneous population. DESIGN A retrospective population-based cohort study. SETTING Vaginal deliveries that took place between the years 2005 and 2017 at Soroka University Medical Center, a tertiary referral hospital in Israel, and a follow-up on the incidence of ASD in the children. PATIENTS A hundred and thirty-nine thousand, nine hundred and eighty-one labouring patients and their offspring. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The incidence of children diagnosed with ASD (both hospital and community-based diagnoses) was compared based on whether their mothers had received labour epidural analgesia during their labour. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve compared cumulative incidence of ASD. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to control for relevant confounders. RESULTS Labour epidural analgesia was administered to 33 315 women. Epidural analgesia was more common among high-risk pregnancy groups (including pregnancies complicated with diabetes mellitus, hypertensive disorders, intrauterine growth restriction, and oligohydramnios; P < 0.001). In a Cox proportional hazards model, the association between epidural analgesia during labour and ASD in the children lost statistical significance following adjustment for confounders such as maternal age, gestational age, hypertensive disorders, diabetes mellitus, and ethnicity [adjusted hazard ratio = 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.96 to 1.34, P = 0.152]. CONCLUSION In our population, after adjusting for confounders, epidural analgesia is not independently associated with autism spectrum disorder in the children. These findings enhance our knowledge regarding the safety of epidural analgesia and enable patients to make informed decisions about their pain relief techniques during labour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omri Zamstein
- From the Obstetrics and Gynecology Division, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel (OZ, ES, GP), Department of Anesthesiology, Soroka University Medical Center and the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel (YB) and Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel (TW)
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Hu X, Wang B, Chen J, Han D, Wu J. Association Between Epidural Labor Analgesia and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Offspring: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Pain Res 2024; 17:227-240. [PMID: 38230204 PMCID: PMC10790590 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s442298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Many studies have focused on the association between Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and epidural labor analgesia (ELA), which is the most effective way to manage labor pain. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to summarize the current state of the association between ELA and ASD. Methods A search of the literature yielded 201 relevant studies, of which 7 cohort studies met our inclusion criteria. Two independent reviewers screened the inclusion results, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias and quality of evidence. Results Compared to parturient who did not receive ELA, parturient who received ELA had a slightly increased risk of ASD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.17; I2, 69%; P < 0.001; seven studies). After excluding one literature (aHR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.06-1.12; I2, 4%; P < 0.001; six studies). The sensitivity analyses had consistent outcomes with the main analyses involving siblings (aHR 1.11; 95% CI 1.03-1.19), cesarean section and instrumental deliveries (aHR 1.07; 95% CI 1.03-1.10), non-overlapping populations (aHR 1.09; 95% CI 1.05-1.12), full-term birth populations (aHR 1.10; 95% CI 1.06-1.14), and studies assessed to have moderate risk of bias (aHR 1.09; 95% CI 1.02-1.16). Conclusion This meta-analysis revealed a modest positive association between ELA and ASD, acknowledging a slight potential risk. However, it is important to note that this risk cannot be completely dismissed due to the possibility of bias and this association is based on low-quality evidence. Future studies are required to assess and mitigate different confounding biases and investigate the time-dose-response relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Beibei Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dong Han
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
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Murphy MSQ, Ducharme R, Hawken S, Corsi DJ, Petrcich W, El-Chaâr D, Bisnaire L, McIsaac DI, Fell DB, Wen SW, Walker MC. Exposure to Intrapartum Epidural Analgesia and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Offspring. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2214273. [PMID: 35616937 PMCID: PMC9136620 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.14273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE There is conflicting evidence on the association between intrapartum epidural analgesia and risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between intrapartum epidural analgesia and the risk of ASD in offspring. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This population-based cohort study was conducted in Ontario, Canada, using the health and administrative records of singleton live births by vaginal delivery between April 1, 2006, and March 31, 2014. Neonates with less than 24 weeks' gestation or weighing less than 500 g were excluded. Offspring were followed up from 18 months of age until ASD diagnosis, loss to follow-up, or the end of the study (December 31, 2020), whichever occurred first. Exposure, covariate, and outcome data were obtained using provincial health administrative databases. EXPOSURES Any intrapartum exposure to epidural or combined spinal-epidural analgesia. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was ASD diagnosis after 18 months of age. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) of Cox proportional hazards regression models was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of intrapartum epidural analgesia and ASD in offspring. Offspring head injury was used as a control outcome. Models were adjusted for maternal sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and medical and obstetrical history as well as labor, delivery, and offspring characteristics. Post hoc analyses included restriction to term neonates, a conditional within-mother analysis, exclusion of records with concomitant intrapartum pain management exposures, a complete case analysis, use of an alternative ASD definition, and estimation of the average treatment effect in the treated group. RESULTS Among the 650 373 mother-offspring pairs included in the study, 418 761 (64.4%) were exposed to intrapartum epidural analgesia. The mean (SD) maternal age at delivery was 29.7 (5.5) years; the offspring had a mean (SD) gestational age at delivery of 39.1 (1.6) weeks and included 329 808 male newborns (50.7%). The exposed and unexposed groups were similar in all maternal and newborn characteristics after IPTW (standardized difference <0.10). Autism spectrum disorder was diagnosed in 7546 offspring (1.8%) of mothers who received intrapartum epidural analgesia (incidence rate, 18.8 [95% CI, 18.4-19.3] per 10 000 person-years) compared with 3234 offspring (1.4%) who were unexposed (incidence rate, 14.4 [95% CI, 13.9-14.9] per 10 000 person-years). The crude HR for ASD associated with intrapartum epidural analgesia was 1.30 (95% CI, 1.25-1.36), and the IPTW-adjusted HR was 1.14 (95% CI, 1.08-1.21). Results did not qualitatively differ in post hoc analyses. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Results of this study showed that intrapartum epidural analgesia was associated with a small increase in risk for ASD in offspring. The biological plausibility of this association, however, remains unclear, and the finding must be interpreted with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malia S. Q. Murphy
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robin Ducharme
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Steven Hawken
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel J. Corsi
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN) Ontario, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Darine El-Chaâr
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Newborn Care, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lise Bisnaire
- Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN) Ontario, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel I. McIsaac
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Deshayne B. Fell
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shi Wu Wen
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark C. Walker
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN) Ontario, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Newborn Care, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- International and Global Health Office, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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