Pharmacological Pain Management for Childbirth: A Scoping Review Protocol

BACKGROUND: Childbirth is often a profoundly painful experience for women. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends epidural analgesia or opioids as primary pharmacological pain management options for labor. However, many other methods of analgesia are available today, although they have different evidence backgrounds. This scoping review will map the literature on these pharmacological pain management methods for vaginal childbirth, examining their effectiveness, risks, and side effects to provide a comprehensive overview.

METHODS: The scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. A broad systematic search will be performed across multiple databases, including a backward citation search of the included articles. Data extraction will include study characteristics, population characteristics, analgesia type, and outcomes.

RESULTS: The results will be presented using a narrative synthesis as well as descriptive statistics in tables, figures, or graphs as appropriate.

CONCLUSION: The scoping review aims to map the newest existing knowledge on pharmacological pain management for women during labor. Furthermore, we will identify research gaps in this area to help shape the direction for future research.