Scientists pinpoint ideal painkiller dose for easier labor
NCT ID NCT06146842
First seen Jul 13, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests different doses of bupivacaine, a common painkiller, given through an epidural after a lidocaine test dose to women in labor. The goal is to find the dose that provides effective pain relief for 90% of participants. The study includes women with a single, full-term pregnancy who request an epidural for labor pain.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Bupivacaine Hydrochloride
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could identify the optimal bupivacaine dose for faster, more reliable pain relief during labor, improving comfort for mothers.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase dose-finding study, not a large effectiveness trial. Results may not apply to all labor situations or techniques.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2023
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Parturient with no major co-morbidities 2. Singleton, vertex gestation at term (37-42 weeks) 3. Less than or equal to 5 cm dilation 4. Desire to receive epidural labor analgesia 5. Numerical Rating Scale greater than or equal to 5 (NRS 0-10, where 0 = no pain, and 10 = worst pain imaginable), at time of epidural labor analgesia request. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Current or historical evidence of clinically significant disease or condition, including diseases of pregnancy (i.e., preeclampsia, gestational diabetes) 2. Any contraindication to the administration of an epidural technique (e.g., thrombocytopenia, antiplatelet meds). 3. History of hypersensitivity or idiosyncratic reaction to an amide local anesthetic agent 4. Evidence of anticipated fetal complications (i.e., fetal anomalies, IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction), oligohydramnios, polyhydramnios)
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Brigham and Women's Hospital
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- The effect of wet towel application during labor on labor pain, comfort, and anxiety: a randomized controlled study
- A gentle forehead touch during labor: could it reduce pain and anxiety?
- Can a smarter epidural pump reduce leg weakness during labor?
- Can a traditional cloth ease labor pain and speed up birth?
- Could a playlist be the new Post-Surgery comfort?
- What's the right dose? a trial seeks the sweet spot for labor epidurals