Parenteral Pethidine for labour pain relief and substance use disorder: 20-year follow-up cohort study in offspring

Objective: To determine whether use of intrapartum Pethidine pain analgesia increases the risk for substance use disorder in adult offspring. Design: Analysis of data from a cohort study. Setting: Academic hospital in Leiden, the Netherlands. Participants: 133 cases and 164 control individuals, aged 18-20 years at follow-up. Main outcome measure: Incidence of substance use disorder or use of alcohol and tobacco. Results: The lifetime use of addictive substances in children exposed to intrapartum Pethidine analgesia was 45% of 133 children versus 48% of 164 not-exposed subjects (adjusted OR=0.79, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.29). Recent use of alcohol, tobacco and hard drugs showed no statistical difference either. Conclusion: Pethidine for labour pain medication appears not to be associated with substance misuse or smoking in later life.