Better pain relief for women in labour
Women in labour who had the short-acting strong painkiller remifentanil instead of pethidine had less need for further pain relief.
Only 19 percent of women given remifentanil received a subsequent epidural compared with 41 percent given pethidine.
The RESPITE trial involved 401 women across 14 UK maternity units, including 25 at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
