[Effects of ambulatory labor analgesia on fetal oxygen saturation].

Objective: To observe the effect of ambulatory labor analgesia on fetal oxygen saturation during labor.

Methods: Sixty parturients with uncomplicated term pregnancies were equally divided, according to their personal preference, into ambulatory analgesia group receiving combined spinal-epidural labor analgesia and control group without analgesia administration. All the parturients with ambulatory labor analgesia received sufentanil and ropivacaine administration. Fetal oxygen saturation was monitored continuously during the labor by recording the values every 5 minutes and the mean value was calculated. Umbilical blood was analyzed after fetal delivery and the pH, base excess (BE) value were recorded.

Results: In the analgesia group and the control group, the mean values of fetal oxygen saturation was (51.92+/-5.90)% and (50.77+/-6.47)%, respectively, during the first labor stage (P=0.48), and was (44.85+/-6.27)% and (43.12+/-7.34)% during the second labor stage (P=0.32), and the lowest values during the labor was (41.63+/-7.51)% and (40.96+/-7.48)%, respectively (P=0.73), showing no significant differences in the three values between the two groups.

Conclusion: Ambulatory labor analgesia does not significantly affect fetal oxygen saturation during the entire course of labor.