[Conduction anesthesia and the newborn infant].

The placental transfer of local anaesthetics (LA) depends on maternal, placental and fetal factors. The assessment of effects of LA and epidural anaesthesia (EA) on the fetus is based on the monitoring of fetal heart rate (FHR) and the measurement of the fetal pH. Apgar score and neurobehavioral tests allow an evaluation of the neonatal effects of the drugs used.

[Low back pain and headache during immediate postpartum. Role of obstetrical epidural analgesia].

The rate of low back pain and headache following parturition seems to be higher in patients delivered under epidural analgesia. The aim of this study, performed in the immediate postpartum (up to 3rd day) and including 200 patients delivered vaginally, was to assess the incidence and the risk factors of low back pain and headache. A total of 31.

[Epidemiology of complications of obstetrical epidural analgesia].

Epidural analgesia (EA) is the best technique to obtain pain relief during labour. But the needle, the catheter and the local anaesthetics (LA) are 3 reasons to cause maternal complications. In France we do not know the exact number of EA performed every year and it is very difficult to appreciate the incidence of maternal complications.