What are the positives and negatives of using anesthetics during childbirth? What does the research indicate about the impact on mother and child?

First, this is a private decision that should be left up to the mother. That in mind, however, we must also remember that anesthetics do cross through the placenta and can affect the fetus. How much effect there is, and how long these effects might last, depend upon various factors including (1) what substances are used, (2) how much of the substances are used, and (3) how early in the labor process these substances are used. Some women report more dissatisfaction with the birthing process after having made the decision to be sedated. However, many women appreciate some pain relief during the labor and delivery process. Whether anesthetics have long-term effects on the child has long been debated. General anesthesia, for example, can induce abnormal patterns of sleep and wakefulness, and decreased attention and social responsiveness shortly after birth. However, there is little evidence that general or other forms of anesthesia, such as regional or local anesthesia, have any long-term effects on children.