Newborn Sucking Behavior Affected by Obstetric Sedation

Newborn infants whose mothers received a single dose of obstetric sedation during labor sucked at significantly lower rates and pressures, and consumed less nutrient than infants born to mothers who received no obstetric Fig. 5. Effect of obstetric sedation on nutrient consumption during sucking. sedation. Significant drug effects persisted throughout the 4-day period that the infants remained in the newborn nursery.