The Impact of an Epidural Ropivacaine-Neostigmine Injection for Perineal Analgesia at the End of Labor, on Either Immediate Postpartum Perineal Pain or Development of Chronic Perineal Pain After Vaginal Delivery.

The goal of epidural analgesia during labour is to obtain an analgesia with a minimum of "motor block". Absence of motor block at the time of the childbirth allows to decrease the rate of instrumentation (forceps, vacuum extractor). When the parturient approach complete cervical dilatation (8-10 cm), the anaesthetist must perform a last epidural injection for perineal analgesia. Generally a local anaesthetic is used (ex : Ropivacaine). Adjuvant can be associated to local anaesthetic (Sufentanil, Clonidine and more recently Neostigmine) to maximize local anaesthetic without increasing motor block.

Neostigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor, increase concentration of acetylcholine on synaptic level and stimulate analgesic mechanisms mediated by this acetylcholine on dorsal horn of spinal cord.

Perineal pain after childbirth appears in most of the women with or without episiotomy. (Mac Arthur Am J Obst. Gynecol. 2004). This perineal pain can become source of chronic pain in 9%-12% of the cases. Neostigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor at the dose of 500µg, combined with Sufentanil or Ropivacaine (=local anaesthetic) has an analgesic effect.

The goal of this study is to examine the effect of epidural Neostigmine for perineal analgesia at the end of the labour and on the development of chronic pain post-partum.

Inclusion criteria : any parturient of 18-45 years, normal pregnancy, at full term and having an effective epidural anaesthesia during labour.