Affluent women more likely to get epidural
WEALTHY WOMEN are far more likely to get an epidural during labour, a major study shows.
The UK research highlights stark differences in the pain relief given to different classes.
Researchers examined the care given to more than half a million women who gave birth between 2007 and 2020.
Of the 593,230 women who gave birth, 131,521 (22 per cent) received an epidural for pain relief.
Those from the most affluent areas were 19 per cent more likely to receive an epidural than those from more deprived places, the study found.
The research suggests that women from poorer backgrounds might feel under more pressure to put up with pain, with middle-class women prepared to be more sharp-elbowed.
Researchers said healthcare professionals might treat poorer women differently, with “institutional bias” against those from deprived backgrounds. The study found an even greater difference among deliveries where there was a clear indication showing an epidural was necessary.
In such cases, women in the 10 per cent of areas which were most affluent were 27 per cent more likely to receive the pain relief compared with those from the poorest 10 per cent.
NHS watchdogs have warned of widespread failings in maternity care.
Two in three units in England were rated “inadequate” or “require improvement for safety” in the last ratings by the Care Quality Commission, with major scandals uncovered in Shrewsbury, East Kent and Nottingham.
The study, published in Anaesthesia, was led by the University of Glasgow School of Medicine. It examined NHS data for all women in labour in Scotland between Jan 1 2007 and Oct 23 2020, excluding elective caesarean sections.
Last month, Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, announced £50 million of funding for research to tackle maternal disparities.
Researchers, led by Dr Lucy Halliday, from the University of Glasgow, suggested women in the poorest groups may be more likely to feel they should put up with pain.
They said: “These women [in the poorest groups] may lack knowledge about indications for epidural analgesia; have circumstances that may adversely impact antenatal care attendance; mistrust medical staff; feel disempowered during labour; hold misconceptions about epidural safety; or have differing expectations and societal pressures regarding the pain of childbirth.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The NHS is already one of the safest places to give birth in the world and we are absolutely clear that maternity care must be of the same high standard for everyone.”