Maternal and Fetal Clinical Significance of Hypotension Following Labor Epidural Analgesia

Incidence and Clinical Significance of Maternal Hypotension After Labor Epidural Analgesia and Its Effects on Fetal Well-Being

The goal of this study is to learn how often blood pressure drops after an epidural for labor and how these drops may affect the parent and the baby. The study focuses on adults who give birth at term and choose to receive an epidural for pain relief.

The main questions the study aims to answer are:

How often does maternal blood pressure fall within 30 minutes after the epidural? When blood pressure falls, how often do participants need treatments such as fluids or medicines that raise blood pressure? Do changes in the baby's heart rate happen during this time, and do they need treatment? Are certain parent or labor factors linked to a higher chance of blood pressure drops? How often does an urgent cesarean delivery happen because of maternal low blood pressure or concerning fetal heart rate changes soon after the epidural?

Participants will not be asked to do anything different from usual care. Researchers will:

Review routine vital signs recorded before and after the epidural Review treatments given, such as IV fluids or blood-pressure-raising medicines Review the baby's heart-rate monitoring Record delivery information, including whether an urgent cesarean was needed This study does not change clinical care in any way. It uses information already collected during standard labor and delivery.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years of age or older
• 37 weeks pregnant or more (term pregnancy)
• in labor and choose to receive an epidural for pain relief
• giving birth at Sheba Medical Center

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients with a heart condition that requires special blood pressure management
• medical conditions that prevent safe monitoring of blood pressure
• missing or incomplete medical record data needed for the study
• patient who do not receive an epidural during labor