The EARLY Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The role of epidural timing in birth outcomes (the EARLY study — Epidural timing And outcomes in Labour and birth studY)
IRAS ID
361945
Contact name
Mathew Lyons
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
2526-0062, PBPP Application
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This study will look at whether the timing of an epidural during labour affects how often women need medical help to give birth. An epidural is a very effective way to manage pain in labour, but it is not clear if having one earlier or later in labour makes a difference to birth outcomes. This question is especially important for women with a BMI of 40 or more, who are currently advised to have an epidural early, even though the evidence is limited.
We will study data from about 300,000 births in Scotland and Ireland over five years. We will include women aged 16 and over who gave birth at 22 weeks or later. We will compare those who had an epidural early in their labour (at 5 cm or less cervical dilation) with those who had it later in labour (more than 5 cm cervical dilation).
The main outcome is whether the person needed anaesthesia for a caesarean or forceps assisted birth. We will also look at caesarean rates overall, epidural problems (like needing to re-site it or switch techniques), and Apgar scores for the baby.
We will use statistical methods to make fair comparisons between groups and to check for differences between hospitals. We will also see if the timing of the epidural has different effects for women with obesity, different social backgrounds, or different labour patterns.
This study will help women and doctors make more informed choices about when to have an epidural. The results could guide future advice and help make labour safer and less stressful. No personal patient information will be shared.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
25/WA/0358
Date of REC Opinion
8 Dec 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion