Dataset Information

Association of Neuraxial Labor Analgesia for Vaginal Childbirth With Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Recent studies have reported conflicting findings regarding a potential association between analgesia used during labor and autism spectrum disorder in the offspring.

Objective

To evaluate whether neuraxial labor analgesia increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder in the offspring.

Design, setting, and participants

This cohort study included mother-child dyads who underwent vaginal delivery and were exposed to neuraxial labor analgesia. Delivery data were collected from the Medicaid Analytic eXtract (2005-2014) for mothers with public insurance and the IBM Health MarketScan Research Database (2005-2015) for mothers with private insurance. Data analysis was conducted from January to October 2021.

Exposures

Presence of a procedure code indicating neuraxial labor analgesia.

Main outcomes and measures

Children with autism spectrum disorder, identified using a validated algorithm (positive predictive value: 94% [95% CI, 83%-99%]). Cumulative incidence curves stratified by exposure were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analyses. Hazard ratios were estimated through Cox proportional hazards regression, using propensity-score fine stratification for confounding control. Estimates from both insurance cohorts were combined through fixed-effects meta-analysis. Subsequently, results from these analyses were combined with existing published studies.

Results

The cohort of mother-child dyads with public insurance consisted of 910 696 deliveries (mean [SD] maternal age, 24.3 [5.7] years; 286 025 [31.4%] Black mothers; 374 282 [41.1%] White mothers), with 484 752 (53.2%) being exposed to neuraxial labor analgesia. The cohort of mother-child dyads with private insurance included 696 883 deliveries (mean [SD] maternal age, 31.0 [4.5] years; race and ethnicity data not available), with 513 347 (73.7%) being exposed. Cumulative incidence of autism spectrum disorder by 10 years of age was 1.93% (95% CI, 1.73%-2.13%) among children in the exposed group vs 1.64% (95% CI, 1.51%-1.76%) among children in the unexposed group in the publicly insured cohort. Respective numbers were 1.33% (95% CI, 1.19%-1.46%) and 1.19% (95% CI, 0.99%-1.38%) in the privately insured cohort. Adjusting for potential confounders and pooling across both cohorts resulted in a hazard ratio of 1.08 (95% CI, 1.02-1.15). Results were consistent when additionally adjusting for empirically identified variables through high-dimensional propensity score analyses (pooled hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.00-1.14) or expanding the cohorts to include cesarean deliveries and assisted vaginal deliveries (pooled hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03-1.12). Meta-analysis of this study and recently published observational studies yielded similar findings with a pooled hazard ratio of 1.10 (95% CI, 1.06-1.13).

Conclusions and relevance

Although a small increase in risk cannot be ruled out, the combined evidence from observational studies does not support the notion that neuraxial labor analgesia is associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder.

SUBMITTER: Straub L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8696569 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ImportanceA recent cohort study found that epidural analgesia during labor was associated with an increased risk of autism in offspring.ObjectiveTo investigate if labor epidural increases the risk of autism in offspring.Design, setting, and participantsThis nationwide retrospective cohort study identified all live-born children in Denmark between January 2006 and December 2013. Follow-up commenced at children's first birthday and ended in December 2017. Among 485 093 live-born children, 5915 were excluded because of occurrences during the first year of life including death, emigration, misregistration of birth, diagnosis of disease inherently linked to autism, or diagnosis of autism.ExposuresAdministration of epidural analgesia during labor, as identified by procedure code.Main outcomes and measuresThe main outcome of interest was incident diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder based on International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision codes in the Danish Psychiatric Central Register or National Patient Register. Hazard ratios were estimated using Cox regression, adjusted for covariates describing maternal comorbidity, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, pregnancy, psychiatric illness, psychotropic medication, medical-seeking behavior, and family history of autism. A secondary analysis used a within-mother design including only children of mothers with both exposure and nonexposure to labor epidural analgesia in different deliveries.ResultsThe cohort included 479 178 children (233 405 girls [48.7%]; median maternal age at delivery, 30.9 [IQR, 27.6-34.2] years); of these, 92 900 (19.4%) were exposed to epidural analgesia during labor. Median follow-up was 7.0 years (IQR, 4.9-9.0 years), and by the end of follow-up, 6428 children (1.3%) had been diagnosed with autism. Exposed children had an autism diagnosis incidence rate of 23.1 per 10 000 person-years compared with 18.5 per 10 000 person-years in the unexposed group (crude hazard ratio, 1.29 [95% CI, 1.21-1.37]; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.05 [95% CI, 0.98-1.11]). A secondary within-mother analysis including 59 154 children (12.3%) estimated an autism diagnosis incidence rate of 20.8 per 10 000 person-years in the exposed group and 17.1 per 10 000 person-years in the unexposed group (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.05 [95% CI, 0.90-1.21]).Conclusions and relevanceIn this nationwide cohort study of Danish children, maternal exposure to epidural analgesia during labor was not significantly associated with autism spectrum disorder in offspring.

Project description:BackgroundFew data are available on the intensity of pain that women experience during the first five days after vaginal childbirth. Moreover, it is unknown if the use of neuraxial labor analgesia has any impact on the level of postpartum pain.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study based on chart review of all women who delivered vaginally at an urban teaching hospital between April 2017 and April 2019. The primary outcome was the area under the curve of pain score on numeric rating scale (NRS) documented in electronic medical records for five days postpartum (NRS-AUC5days). Secondary outcomes included peak NRS score, doses of oral and intravenous analgesics consumed during the first five days postpartum, and relevant obstetric outcomes. Logistic regression was used to examine the associations between the use of neuraxial labor analgesia and pain-related outcomes adjusting for potential confounders.ResultsDuring the study period, 778 women (38.6%) underwent vaginal delivery with neuraxial analgesia and 1240 women (61.4%) delivered without neuraxial analgesia. Median (Interquartile range) of NRS-AUC5days was 0.17 (0.12-0.24) among women who received neuraxial analgesia and 0.13 (0.08-0.19) among women who did not (p<0.001). Women who received neuraxial analgesia were more likely to require the first- and second-line analgesics postpartum than women who did not: diclofenac (87.9% vs. 73.0%, p< 0.001, respectively); acetaminophen (40.7% vs. 21.0%, p< 0.001, respectively). The use of neuraxial labor analgesia was independently associated with increased odds of having NRS-AUC5days in the highest 20 percentile (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.55-2.65), having peak NRS ≥ 4 (aOR 1.54; 95% CI 1.25-1.91) and developing hemorrhoids during the postpartum hospitalization (aOR 2.13; 95% CI 1.41-3.21) after adjusting for relevant confounders.ConclusionAlthough women who used neuraxial labor analgesia had slightly higher pain scores and increased analgesic requirement during postpartum hospitalization, pain after vaginal childbirth was overall mild. The small elevation in the pain burden in neuraxial group does not seem to be clinically relevant and should not influence women's choice to receive labor analgesia.

Project description:ImportanceEpidural labor analgesia (ELA) has been associated with an increased offspring risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Whether this finding may be explained by residual confounding remains unclear.ObjectiveTo assess the association between ELA and offspring risk of ASD.Design, setting, and participantsLongitudinal cohort study of vaginal deliveries of singleton live infants born from 2005 to 2016 from a population-based data set linking information from health care databases in Manitoba, Canada; offspring were followed from birth until 2019 or censored by death or emigration. Data were analyzed from October 19, 2020, to January 22, 2021.ExposuresEpidural labor analgesia.Main outcomes and measuresAt least 1 inpatient or outpatient diagnosis of ASD in offspring aged at least 18 months. For the full population and a sibling cohort, inverse probability of treatment-weighted Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to control for potential confounders.ResultsOf the 123 175 offspring included in this study (62 647 boys [50.9%]; mean [SD] age of mothers, 28.2 [5.8] years), 47 011 (38.2%) were exposed to ELA; 2.1% (985 of 47 011) of exposed vs 1.7% (1272 of 76 164) of unexposed offspring were diagnosed with ASD in the follow-up period (hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; 95% CI, 1.15-1.36). After adjusting for maternal sociodemographic, prepregnancy, pregnancy, and perinatal covariates, ELA was not associated with an offspring risk of ASD (inverse probability of treatment-weighted HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.97-1.20). In the within-siblings design adjusting for baseline covariates, ELA was not associated with ASD (inverse probability of treatment-weighted HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.78-1.22). Results from sensitivity analyses restricted to women without missing data who delivered at or after 37 weeks of gestation, firstborn infants only, and offspring with ASD classified with at least 2 diagnostic codes were consistent with findings from the main analyses.Conclusions and relevanceIn a Canadian population-based birth cohort study, no association between ELA exposure and an increased offspring risk of ASD was found.

Project description:ImportanceEvidence from studies investigating the association of epidural analgesia use during labor and delivery with risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring is conflicting.ObjectiveTo assess the association of maternal use of epidural analgesia during labor and delivery with ASD in offspring using a large population-based data set with clinical data on ASD case status.Design, setting, and participantsThis population-based retrospective cohort study included term singleton children born in British Columbia, Canada, between April 1, 2000, and December 31, 2014. Stillbirths and cesarean deliveries were excluded. Clinical ASD diagnostic data were obtained from the British Columbia Autism Assessment Network and the British Columbia Ministry of Education. All children were followed up until clinical diagnosis of ASD, death, or the study end date of December 31, 2016.ExposuresUse of epidural analgesia during labor and delivery.Main outcomes and measuresA clinical diagnosis of ASD made by pediatricians, psychiatrists, and psychologists with specialty training to assess ASD. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratio of epidural analgesia use and ASD. Models were adjusted for maternal sociodemographics; maternal conditions during pregnancy; labor, delivery, and antenatal care characteristics; infant sex; gestational age; and status of small or large for gestational age. A conditional logistic regression model matching women with 2 births or more and discordance in ASD status of the offspring also was performed.ResultsOf the 388 254 children included in the cohort (49.8% female; mean gestational age, 39.2 [SD, 1.2] weeks; mean follow-up, 9.05 [SD, 4.3] years), 5192 were diagnosed with ASD (1.34%) and 111 480 (28.7%) were exposed to epidural analgesia. A diagnosis of ASD was made for 1710 children (1.53%) among the 111 480 deliveries exposed to epidural analgesia (94 157 women) vs a diagnosis of ASD in 3482 children (1.26%) among the 276 774 deliveries not exposed to epidural analgesia (192 510 women) (absolute risk difference, 0.28% [95% CI, 0.19%-0.36%]). The unadjusted hazard ratio was 1.32 (95% CI, 1.24-1.40) and the fully adjusted hazard ratio was 1.09 (95% CI, 1.00-1.15). There was no statistically significant association of epidural analgesia use during labor and delivery with ASD in the within-woman matched conditional logistic regression (839/1659 [50.6%] in the exposed group vs 1905/4587 [41.5%] in the unexposed group; fully adjusted hazard ratio, 1.07 [95% CI, 0.87-1.30]).Conclusions and relevanceIn this population-based study, maternal epidural analgesia use during labor and delivery was associated with a small increase in the risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring that met the threshold for statistical significance. However, given the likelihood of residual confounding that may account for the results, these findings do not provide strong supporting evidence for this association.

Project description:ImportanceAddressing severe maternal morbidity (SMM) is a public health priority in the US. Use of labor neuraxial analgesia for vaginal delivery is suggested to reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), the leading cause of preventable severe maternal morbidity.ObjectiveTo assess the association between the use of labor neuraxial analgesia for vaginal delivery and SMM.Design, setting, and participantsIn this population-based cross-sectional study, women aged 15 to 49 years undergoing their first vaginal delivery were included. Data were taken from hospital discharge records from New York between January 2010 and December 2017. Data were analyzed from November 2020 to November 2021.ExposuresNeuraxial analgesia (ie, epidural or combined spinal-epidural) vs no neuraxial analgesia.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome was SMM, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the secondary outcome was PPH. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% CIs of SMM associated with neuraxial analgesia were estimated using the inverse propensity score-weighting method and stratified according to race and ethnicity (non-Hispanic White vs racial and ethnic minority women, including non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and other race and ethnicity) and to the comorbidity index for obstetric patients (low-risk vs high-risk women). The proportion of the association of neuraxial analgesia with the risk of SMM mediated through PPH was estimated using mediation analysis.ResultsOf 575 524 included women, the mean (SD) age was 28 (6) years, and 46 065 (8.0%) were non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander, 88 577 (15.4%) were non-Hispanic Black, 104 866 (18.2%) were Hispanic, 258 276 (44.9%) were non-Hispanic White, and 74 534 (13.0%) were other race and ethnicity. A total of 400 346 women (69.6%) were in the low-risk group and 175 178 (30.4%) in the high-risk group, and 272 921 women (47.4%) received neuraxial analgesia. SMM occurred in 7712 women (1.3%), of which 2748 (35.6%) had PPH. Before weighting, the incidence of SMM was 1.3% (3486 of 272 291) with neuraxial analgesia compared with 1.4% (4226 of 302 603) without neuraxial analgesia (risk difference, -0.12 per 100; 95% CI, -0.17 to -0.07). After weighting, the aOR of SMM associated with neuraxial analgesia was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.82-0.90). Decreased risk of SMM associated with neuraxial analgesia was similar between non-Hispanic White women and racial and ethnic minority women and between low-risk and high-risk women. More than one-fifth (21%; 95% CI, 14-28) of the observed association of neuraxial analgesia with the risk of SMM was mediated through the decreased risk of PPH.Conclusions and relevanceFindings from this study suggest that use of neuraxial analgesia for vaginal delivery is associated with a 14% decrease in the risk of SMM. Increasing access to and utilization of labor neuraxial analgesia may contribute to improving maternal health outcomes.

Project description:ImportanceAlthough the safety of labor epidural analgesia (LEA) for neonates has been well documented, the long-term health effects of LEA on offspring remain to be investigated.ObjectiveTo assess the association between maternal LEA exposure and risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in offspring.Design, setting, and participantsData for this retrospective longitudinal birth cohort study were derived from electronic medical records from a population-based clinical birth cohort. A total of 147 895 singleton children delivered vaginally between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2015, in a single integrated health care system were included. Children were followed up from the age of 1 year until the first date of the following occurrences: clinical diagnosis of ASD, last date of health plan enrollment, death, or the study end date of December 31, 2018.ExposuresUse and duration of LEA.Main outcomes and measuresThe main outcome was clinical diagnosis of ASD. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of ASD associated with LEA exposure.ResultsAmong the cohort of 147 895 singleton children (74 425 boys [50.3%]; mean [SD] gestational age at delivery, 38.9 [1.5] weeks), 109 719 (74.2%) were exposed to maternal LEA. Fever during labor was observed in 13 055 mothers (11.9%) in the LEA group and 510 of 38 176 mothers (1.3%) in the non-LEA group. Autism spectrum disorders were diagnosed in 2039 children (1.9%) in the LEA group and 485 children (1.3%) in the non-LEA group. After adjusting for potential confounders, including birth year, medical center, maternal age at delivery, parity, race/ethnicity, educational level, household income, history of comorbidity, diabetes during pregnancy, smoking during pregnancy, preeclampsia or eclampsia, prepregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, gestational age at delivery, and birth weight, the HR associated with LEA vs non-LEA exposure was 1.37 (95% CI, 1.23-1.53). Relative to the unexposed group, the adjusted HR associated with LEA exposure of less than 4 hours was 1.33 (95% CI, 1.17-1.53), with LEA exposure of 4 to 8 hours was 1.35 (95% CI, 1.20-1.53), and with LEA exposure of more than 8 hours was 1.46 (95% CI, 1.27-1.69). Within the LEA group, there was a significant trend of ASD risk associated with increasing duration of LEA exposure after adjusting for covariates (HR for linear trend, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.01-1.09] per 4 hours). Adding fever to the model did not change the HR estimate associated with LEA exposure (adjusted HR for LEA vs non-LEA, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.22-1.53]).Conclusions and relevanceThis study suggests that maternal LEA may be associated with increased ASD risk in children. The risk appears to not be directly associated with epidural-related maternal fever.

Project description:ImportanceMaternal labor epidural analgesia (LEA) and oxytocin use for labor and delivery have been reported to be associated with child autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, it remains unclear whether these 2 common medications used during labor and delivery have synergistic associations with ASD risk in children.ObjectiveTo assess the independent associations of LEA and oxytocin during labor and delivery with ASD, as well as outcome modification associated with the concurrent use of both interventions.Design, setting, and participantsData for this cohort study included 205 994 singleton births with vaginal deliveries in a single integrated health care system in Southern California from calendar years 2008 to 2017. Children were followed up to December 31, 2021. Data on use of LEA and oxytocin, covariates, and ASD outcome in children were obtained from electronic medical records. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) adjusting for covariates.ExposuresLabor epidural analgesia and/or oxytocin use during labor and delivery.Main outcomes and measuresA child's clinical diagnosis of ASD during follow-up and at age of diagnosis.ResultsAmong the cohort, 153 880 children (74.7%) were exposed to maternal LEA and 117 808 children (57.2%) were exposed to oxytocin during labor and delivery. The population of children was approximately half boys and half girls. The median (IQR) age of the mothers was 30.8 (26.8-34.5) years for those not exposed to LEA, 30.0 (25.9-33.8) years for those exposed to LEA, 30.4 (26.5-34.1) years for those unexposed to oxytocin, and 30.0 (25.9-33.9) years for those exposed to oxytocin during labor and delivery. A total of 5146 children (2.5%) had ASD diagnosed during follow-up. Oxytocin exposure was higher among LEA-exposed (67.7%) than -unexposed (26.1%) children. The ASD risk associated with LEA was independent of oxytocin exposure (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.18-1.38); however, the ASD risk associated with oxytocin was not significant after adjusting for LEA exposure (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.99-1.12). A significant interaction of LEA and oxytocin on child ASD risk was found (P = .02 for interaction). Compared with no exposure, HRs were 1.20 (95% CI, 1.09-1.32) for LEA alone, 1.30 (95% CI, 1.20-1.42) for both LEA and oxytocin, and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.78-1.04) for oxytocin alone.Conclusions and relevanceThe findings of this cohort study suggest an association between maternal LEA and ASD risk in children, and the risk appeared to be further increased if oxytocin was also administered. Oxytocin exposure without LEA exposure was not associated with ASD risk in children. These findings must be interpreted with caution. Further studies are needed to replicate or refute the study results and examine biological plausibility.

Project description:Importance:Advanced parental age has been associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in children. However, little is known about the association between grandparental age at the time of birth of the parent and the risk of ASD in the grandchildren. Objective:To estimate the associations between parental and grandparental age and ASD risk in children. Design, Setting, and Participants:This population-based, multigenerational cohort study used data from Danish national health registries. A parental age cohort was constructed to evaluate the association between parental age and ASD in 1 476 783 singleton children born from 1990 to 2013, and a multigenerational cohort was also constructed including 362 438 fathers and 458 234 mothers born from 1973 to 1990 for whom information on grandparental age was available. Data analyses were conducted from November 1, 2018, through February 7, 2020. Exposures:Parental age at childbirth and grandparental age at the time of the birth of the parent. Main Outcomes and Measures:Diagnoses of ASD in children were obtained from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register (1994-2017). Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the associations between parental or grandparental age and ASD in children. Results:Of the 1 476 783 children born from 1990 to 2013, 758?066 (51.3%) were male, and 27 616 (1.9%) had ASD (20 467 [74.1%] were male). Advanced paternal or maternal age over 30 years was monotonically associated with increased ASD risk, with odds ratios (ORs)?of 1.56 (95% CI, 1.45-1.68) for maternal age 40 years and older and 1.57 (95% CI, 1.39-1.78) for paternal age 50 years and older, compared with parents aged 25 to 29 years. In the multigenerational cohort, 9364 grandchildren (1.7%) had ASD. This study found U-shaped associations, in that ASD risk was higher among grandchildren of younger (?19 years) maternal grandmothers (OR,?1.68; 95% CI, 1.52-1.85), younger maternal grandfathers (OR,?1.50; 95% CI, 1.26-1.78), and younger paternal grandmothers (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.04-1.34), and older (?40 years) paternal grandmothers (OR,?1.40; 95% CI, 1.03-1.90) compared with the grandchildren of grandparents who were aged 25 to 29 years at the time of giving birth to the parents. Conclusions and Relevance:These findings corroborate previous studies suggesting that advanced parental age is independently associated with increased ASD risk in children. This study also found that children with young maternal grandparents and children with young and old paternal grandparents had elevated ASD risk. Possible transmission of ASD risk across generations should be considered in etiological research on ASD.

Project description:ImportanceThere is conflicting evidence on the association between intrapartum epidural analgesia and risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between intrapartum epidural analgesia and the risk of ASD in offspring.Design, setting, and participantsThis population-based cohort study was conducted in Ontario, Canada, using the health and administrative records of singleton live births by vaginal delivery between April 1, 2006, and March 31, 2014. Neonates with less than 24 weeks' gestation or weighing less than 500 g were excluded. Offspring were followed up from 18 months of age until ASD diagnosis, loss to follow-up, or the end of the study (December 31, 2020), whichever occurred first. Exposure, covariate, and outcome data were obtained using provincial health administrative databases.ExposuresAny intrapartum exposure to epidural or combined spinal-epidural analgesia.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome was ASD diagnosis after 18 months of age. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) of Cox proportional hazards regression models was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of intrapartum epidural analgesia and ASD in offspring. Offspring head injury was used as a control outcome. Models were adjusted for maternal sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and medical and obstetrical history as well as labor, delivery, and offspring characteristics. Post hoc analyses included restriction to term neonates, a conditional within-mother analysis, exclusion of records with concomitant intrapartum pain management exposures, a complete case analysis, use of an alternative ASD definition, and estimation of the average treatment effect in the treated group.ResultsAmong the 650 373 mother-offspring pairs included in the study, 418 761 (64.4%) were exposed to intrapartum epidural analgesia. The mean (SD) maternal age at delivery was 29.7 (5.5) years; the offspring had a mean (SD) gestational age at delivery of 39.1 (1.6) weeks and included 329 808 male newborns (50.7%). The exposed and unexposed groups were similar in all maternal and newborn characteristics after IPTW (standardized difference <0.10). Autism spectrum disorder was diagnosed in 7546 offspring (1.8%) of mothers who received intrapartum epidural analgesia (incidence rate, 18.8 [95% CI, 18.4-19.3] per 10 000 person-years) compared with 3234 offspring (1.4%) who were unexposed (incidence rate, 14.4 [95% CI, 13.9-14.9] per 10 000 person-years). The crude HR for ASD associated with intrapartum epidural analgesia was 1.30 (95% CI, 1.25-1.36), and the IPTW-adjusted HR was 1.14 (95% CI, 1.08-1.21). Results did not qualitatively differ in post hoc analyses.Conclusions and relevanceResults of this study showed that intrapartum epidural analgesia was associated with a small increase in risk for ASD in offspring. The biological plausibility of this association, however, remains unclear, and the finding must be interpreted with caution.

Project description:BackgroundProviding continuous health insurance coverage during the perinatal period may increase access to and utilization of labor neuraxial analgesia. This study tested the hypothesis that implementation of the 2010 Dependent Coverage Provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, requiring private health insurers to allow young adults to remain on their parent's plan until age 26 yr, was associated with increased labor neuraxial analgesia use.MethodsThis study used a natural experiment design and birth certificate data for spontaneous vaginal deliveries in 28 U.S. states between 2009 and 2013. The intervention was the Dependent Coverage Provision, categorized into pre- and postintervention periods (January 2009 to August 2010 and September 2010 to December 2013, respectively). The exposure was women's age, categorized as exposed (21 to 25 yr) and unexposed (27 to 31 yr). The outcome was the labor neuraxial analgesia utilization rate.ResultsOf the 4,515,667 birth certificates analyzed, 3,033,129 (67.2%) indicated labor neuraxial analgesia use. For women aged 21 to 25 yr, labor neuraxial analgesia utilization rates were 64.9% during the preintervention period and 68.9% during the postintervention period (difference, 4.0%; 95% CI, 3.9 to 4.2). For women aged 27 to 31 yr, labor neuraxial analgesia utilization rates were 64.9% during the preintervention period and 67.7% during the postintervention period (difference, 2.8%; 95% CI, 2.7 to 2.9). After adjustment, implementation of the Dependent Coverage Provision was associated with a 1.0% (95% CI, 0.8 to 1.2) absolute increase in labor neuraxial analgesia utilization rate among women aged 21 to 25 yr compared with women aged 27 to 31 yr. The increase was statistically significant for White and Hispanic women but not for Black and Other race and ethnicity women.ConclusionsImplementation of the Dependent Coverage Provision was associated with a statistically significant increase in labor neuraxial analgesia use, but the small effect size is unlikely of clinical significance.Editor’s perspective