Iranian Journal of Child Neurology

Abstract

Objective: Use of narcotics to relieve pain in labor affects neurobehavioral and nutritional conditions of newborns after birth. However, there are inadequate data on the effects of drugs currently used in labor. This study was performed to examine the association between newborns' breastfeeding behaviors in the first two hours after birth and drugs used for their mothers in labor.

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 300 women were selected according to convenience sampling and assigned to four groups. Data were collected by a demographic questionnaire and the Newborn Breastfeeding behaviors Tool completed by the researcher as she observed the newborns during breastfeeding after birth. The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, chi-square test and Kruskal-Wallis test in SPSS 20.

Results: There is no significant difference between demographic characteristics of the studied groups (p>0.05). In addition, there is significant difference in breastfeeding behaviors between groups. More clearly, breastfeeding ability was higher in the infants of the women administered with no drug than those of the women in the group (p=0.000).

Conclusion: Regarding the findings of the present study, physicians, nurses, and midwives can be informed about the side effects of the drugs used in labor on the newborns' breastfeeding, and improve their breastfeeding outcomes by decreasing the dose of used drug and the duration of the women's treatment with these drugs.

Key words: oxytocin, hyoscine, pethidine, labor, newborns' breastfeeding behaviors