Labour drugs negatively affecting neonatal behaviour.

Research was conducted by Kajsa Brimdyr PhD et al into The association between common labour drugs and suckling when in skin to skin during the first hour after birth.

The findings are not very surprising. Women today are subjected to constant unnecessary medicalised treatments during pregnancy and birth that cannot help but have negative outcomes for both mother and baby. Society often forgets that pregnancy and birth are normal physiological events and not illnesses to be treated by doctors

Drugs used in labour such as Fentanyl (epidural) and Oxytocin (induction of labour with a drip) were previously studied with conflicting results. Brimdyr set out to define how these drugs impact on neonatal behaviour after birth.

The results found a strong inverse correlation between the amount of drugs given during labour compared to Widstrom's  9 stages of newborn behaviour. Especially focusing on no. 8 which is suckling during the first hour after a vaginal birth.

There was an increase in babies not being able to suckle effectively at birth while in skin to skin. Putting a newborn in skin to skin at birth regulates their heartrate, breathing, temperature and normally stimulates them to find food. This was not the case after prolonged amounts of Fentanul and oxytocin were being used in labour. Fentanyl use was found to lower neurobehavioral scores after birth and breastfeeding rates were much lower at 6 weeks post partum.

This outcome is very sad. There are simply too many women suffering from being given these drugs in labour. Babies are the ultimate victims as they are being denied the best start in life by being unable to suckle at the breast.

Research constantly shows that giving babies human milk instead of cow milk increases their intelligence and immune system. Human fed children are much less likely to have eczema, asthma and obesity. Cow fed babies on the other hand do not get these benefits. We are breeding generations of Cow people due to how we treat women during their labour.

Widstom's 9 Instinctive Stages of Neonatal Behaviour During Skin to Skin after Birth.

1. Birth cry - expanding lungs. (this is not necessary as a calm baby after a calm birth simply starts breathing and does not need to cry)
2. Relaxation - baby becomes still. (this behaviour is often noted after pool births when a baby will calmly look around taking in their new surroundings)
3. Awakening - baby starts to move limbs.
4. Activity - baby uses larger movements, head is lifted, eyes remain open.
5. Resting - baby rests between bouts of activity.
6. Crawling - toward the nipple using limbs and head bobbing.
7. Familiarization - nipple found baby licks, tastes and touches area around nipple. (this makes the nipple more erect so baby can find it easier)
8. Suckling - baby self attaches to the nipple and starts sucking.
9. Sleeping - an involuntary action lasting 1 and a half to 2 hours after birth.

Posts in this blog aim to teach women how to approach labour so that their chances of having a medicalised birth is reduced. Read the post on avoiding induction of labour and posts on using relaxation in labour to avoid use of pain relief. See post on not lying down in labour even if you are on a CTG machine to monitor fetal heartrate. Get off the bed and sit on a chair! Good luck. x