Clinical Research Directory

Transplacental Neonatal Transfer of Lidocaine During Urgent Caesarean Delivery

Lidocaine is commonly administered through an existing labor epidural catheter to provide surgical anesthesia for urgent cesarean delivery. Lidocaine crosses the placenta, and fetal exposure may be influenced by maternal dose, the interval between epidural administration and delivery, and fetal acid-base status. This prospective multicenter observational cohort study evaluated fetal exposure to lidocaine in women undergoing Lucas category 1 or category 3 cesarean delivery after epidural extension with 2% lidocaine and epinephrine. Lidocaine concentrations were measured in paired umbilical arterial and venous plasma samples collected immediately after delivery. The study compared umbilical cord lidocaine concentrations between the two urgency categories and examined their associations with umbilical pH.