Epidurals during labour may up autism risk
There's no causal link, but an observational study suggests pain medication given this way has long-term neurodevelopment effects
Epidural analgesia during labour is associated with an increased risk of autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring, according to a US retrospective study.
Lead author, Dr Chunyuan Qiu of Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center, in California says epidurals during labour “may have long-term effects on neurodevelopment in children”.
