The efficacy of intravenous paracetamol injection to reducing labor pain: a randomized clinical trial study

Labor pain is one of the most severe pains that a woman may experience, so it is important to research the methods to reduce this pain. Paracetamol infusion is an efficient and available remedy to alleviate labor pain in an active phase. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of intravenous paracetamol injection on reducing labor pain. In this double-blind randomized clinical trial study, the number of 110 nulliparous pregnant women who were candidates for vaginal delivery were included in the study. After the onset of the active phase of labor, the control group received only 300 cc normal saline and the intervention group received 300 cc normal saline plus one gram of paracetamol. The maternal pain score, duration of the first and second stages of labor, delivery type and Apgar score were compared between two groups. Repeated measure ANOVA was used for comparison of means of the VAS score between groups based on repeated observations. The mean age of the patients was 25.09 ± 4.2 years (18-35 years). The mean length of the first stage (2.85 vs. 3.52 hours, P = 0.001) and second stage (38.77 vs. 43.44 minutes, P = 037) in the intervention group was significantly lower than the control group. Moreover, the mean score of pain was significantly lower in the paracetamol group at all times than the control group (P <0.05). The prescription of intravenous paracetamol not only reduces pain during labor in women but also reduces the duration of different stages of labor, increases patients’ satisfaction with natural childbirth, and reduces the demand for Cesarean.