Retrospective study to assess the effect of epidural analgesia on labor progress and women’s pelvic floor muscle from the perspective of electromyography

Figures & data

Table 1. The clinical general information of the primiparas with and without analgesia.

	epidural analgesia	non-analgesia	T	p
Number	67	57	–	–
Age(y)	27.79 ± 2.92	28.19 ± 3.69	−0.68	.49
Gestational week(w)	39.34 ± 1.16	38.96 ± 1.09	1.86	.07
Gravida	1.39 ± 0.76	1.35 ± 0.64	0.29	.77
Weight increase(Kg)	14.03 ± 5.03	13.08 ± 3.34	1.21	.23
BMI increase(Kg/m2)	5.35 ± 1.95	5.04 ± 1.29	1.05	.29
Fetal weight(g)	3314.12 ± 396.38	3249.74 ± 389.05	0.91	.37

Footnote: All the data were displayed as mean ± standard deviation(SD). There was no significant difference between the two groups.

Table 2. The effect of epidural analgesia on the route of delivery.

	epidural analgesia	non-analgesia	χ^2	p
Number	67	57	–	–
Episiotomy(%)	29 (43.28)	22 (38.6)	0.28	.6
Perineal laceration(%)	49 (73.13)	54 (94.74)	10.22	.001^a
Forceps(%)	6 (8.96)	2 (3.51)	1.51	.22
Artificialrupturing membrane (%)	26 (38.81)	22 (38.6)	0.001	.98
Use of oxytocin(%)	26 (38.81)	26 (45.61)	0.57	.44

^a There was significant difference between the epidural analgesia group and control group.

Figure 1. The effect of epidural analgesics on the length of delivery period. Note: The length of the first stage of labor, the second stage of labor, the third stage of labor and total stage of labor in patients of epidural analgesia group were significantly longer than those in the non-analgesia group.

Figure 2. The effect of epidural analgesics on the pelvic muscle strength. Note: There was no significant difference between the two group in the PFM strength and total score (p>.05).

Table 3. Association between obstetric risk factors and PFM.

	Class I muscles		Class II muscles		Pre-rest phase		Post-rest phase		Sustained contractions		Total score
	B	p	B	p	B	p	B	p	B	p	B	p
Age	0.83	.63	2.12	.41	−1.33	.01^a	−1.00	.07	0.64	.65	2.12	.41
Gestational week	−0.25	.76	0.13	.92	−0.09	.73	−0.07	.78	−0.18	.79	0.13	.92
Gravida	2.53	.03^a	2.58	.16	−0.01	.97	0.23	.55	2.37	.01^a	3.53	.05
Epidural analgesia	−0.53	.78	−0.96	.73	−0.47	.43	−0.11	.85	−1.43	.36	–0.96	.73
Episiotomy	0.79	.67	0.09	.97	0.55	.35	0.70	.24	0.82	.59	0.09	.97
Forceps	3.09	.41	11.11	.03^a	−1.93	.11	−1.71	.16	0.48	.89	11.11	.03^a
Fetal weight	−0.01	.02^a	−0.003	.39	−0.002	.002^a	−0.002	.01^a	−0.77	.44	−0.003	.39
Length of the first stage	0.03	0.72	−0.02	.88	0.03	.25	0.02	.45	0.02	.79	−0.02	.88
Length of the second stage	0.01	.89	−0.02	.83	−1.61	.003^a	−1.16	.03^a	0.004	.94	−0.02	.83
Length of the total stage	−0.02	.72	0.02	.83	−0.03	.23	−0.02	.41	−0.02	.77	0.02	.83

^athe association was statistically significant.