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Maternal labor epidural analgesia (LEA) was associated with an increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among offspring, according to a study. Chunyuan Qiu, M.D. and colleagues examined the independent associations of LEA and oxytocin during labor and delivery with ASD using data from 205,994 singleton births with vaginal deliveries in a single integrated health care system from 2008 to 2017. Children were followed through Dec. 31, 2021. Within the cohort, 153,880 and 117,808 children (74.7 and 57.2 percent, respectively) were exposed to maternal LEA and to oxytocin during labor and delivery. The researchers found that during follow-up, 5,146 (2.5...

LONGVIEW, Texas—A 16-pound baby born Friday in Longview holds the new hospital record. Janet Johnson of Longview is the proud mother of one of the biggest babies ever born in Texas. JaMichael Brown was born at Good Shepherd Medical Center. "When they pulled the baby out, they could tell that he was huge," said Janet. "And then they weighed him." Weeks ago, doctors told Janet and her Fiance Michael Brown their son would weigh 12 or 13 pounds at birth. But preparing for a 13-pound baby wasn’t enough. JaMichael came out weighing 16 pounds, one ounce. He’s also two feet...

I was awakened by my wife saying, "Wake up". I shook myself awake and walked over to the bed in the birthing room at the hospital. It was 1am, and we were alone. "I want the epidural. I can't take it any more", she said, her voice sounding faint. We had only been at the hospital 3 hours. We were told we had only progressed half way, 5 cm. This despite the fact we had stayed at home as long as reasonable. So, it being the middle of the night of course, I, the coach, failing to execute the Husband-coached...

Julie and Chris LeMoult were excited parents-to-be. Did a hospital infection turn the happiest day of their lives into a nightmare?

Los Angeles (Reuters) A California woman is suing a hospital for wrongful death because her husband fainted and suffered a fatal injury after helping delivery room staff give her a pain-killing injection. Jeanette Passalaqua, 32, filed the suit against Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Southern California Permanente Medical Group Inc. in San Bernardino County state court last week. In June 2004, Passalaqua's husband, Steven Passalaqua, was asked by Kaiser staff to hold and steady his wife while an employee inserted an epidural needle into her back, court papers said. The sight of the needle caused Steven Passalaqua, 33, to faint and...