Epidural drugs may affect Baby's heartbeat, study finds
NCT ID NCT01686347
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at whether pain-relief drugs given during labor (ropivacaine and sufentanil) can pass into the mother's blood and cause abnormal heart rhythms in the baby. It involved 40 first-time mothers with a single baby in head-first position. The goal was to measure drug levels in the mother's blood and compare them to any fetal heart rate changes. The study was terminated early, so findings are preliminary.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ropivacaine and sufentanil
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors understand why some babies have heart rate changes after epidurals, leading to safer pain relief during labor.
- What could go wrong
- The study was terminated early with only 40 participants, so results are limited. It only looks at a possible link, not a proven cause, and may not apply to all pregnancies.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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centre hospitalier universitaire de Rouen, Hopital Charles Nicolle
Rouen, 76000, France