Lack of adverse neonatal neurobehavioral effects of lidocaine.

The effects of epidural anesthesia on the early neonatal neurobehavioral scale (ENNS) following delivery were studied in 22 parturients given 1.5% lidocaine epidural anesthesia during labor and delivery. These results were compared to those obtained in a control group of 17 neonates whose mothers received no analgesics, medications, or local anesthetics for labor or delivery. There was no significant difference in ENNS in the two groups of neonates. Lidocaine as administered in this study has no adverse effects on the early neurobehavioral status of the neonate.