Does pethidine still have a place in the management of labour pain?

Abstract

Pethidine can provide short-term relief of acute pain, but it is not effective for everyone. During labour, intramuscular or intravenous pethidine sedates women, but may not give them adequate analgesia. Pethidine and its active metabolite, norpethidine, can have adverse effects on the neonate as well as the mother, especially if repeated doses are given during labour. There is little evidence to show that other drugs have greater efficacy than pethidine, so epidural analgesia may be a more effective option.