Women from minority backgrounds in UK less likely to receive epidurals, research finds
Summary
Research in the UK shows that women from Black and Asian backgrounds are less likely than white women to receive epidural pain relief during childbirth. Experts say this highlights racial inequalities in healthcare, where people of color often get less pain treatment.Key Facts
- The study looked at data from over 2.7 million births in the UK up to 2021.
- Women from Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Black Caribbean backgrounds were 24%, 15%, and 8% less likely than white women to get epidurals during vaginal births.
- Black Caribbean-British women were 58% more likely to receive general anesthesia rather than regional anesthesia during planned C-sections compared to white women.
- General anesthesia puts the mother fully to sleep and is mostly used in emergencies, while regional anesthesia (like epidurals) allows the mother to stay awake and recover faster.
- The findings reflect wider racial inequalities in pain treatment in UK healthcare, from emergency care to cancer pain relief.
- Medical professionals call for better data to understand and fix how pain is treated for ethnic minority patients.
- The report links these inequalities to deeper problems, including institutional racism and harmful stereotypes about Black and Asian women.
- Similar racial disparities in maternity care have also been reported in other countries like the US and Australia.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.