title: Epidurals: Do They or Don't They Increase Cesareans?
abstract: The controversy over whether epidurals increase the risk of cesarean has raged since the 1970s. This article provides a history of of the early observational research designed to answer this question and an in-depth analysis of the most recent randomized control trials. Based on the research, the author concludes that we cannot assure women that epidurals do not increase the risk of cesarean.
authors.forename: Henci
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goer
keywords: cesarean birth; clinical outcomes; complications; evidence-based practice; interventions; labor and birth
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