Does having a natural birth offer health benefits to the child vs. use of pain medication?

Question

Many women insist on a natural birth, without medication to minimize the pain, on the belief that it is safer or healthier for the child then using medication. This is a common enough phenomenon that I don't believe I need to provide any quotes to back up this belief, though I can if asked.

Do studies show that these natural births are safer or offer other health benefits to the child vs use of pain medication?

For this question I'm asking specifically for birth in a first world medical facility of a child carried to term without any sign of other medical risk factors for mother or child prior to the birth.

Answer 1

Using of Epidurals and painkillers during childbirth was not shown to have long lasting effects on the baby¹.

It can affect the course of the birth, prolonging it and by slightly increasing chance for assisted or instrumental delivery, and, as some research suggest, that it may cause babies to have trouble “latching on” causing breastfeeding difficulties.

According a review by Pub Med

Any medication that a woman uses during labor enters the child’s bloodstream as well via the umbilical cord. This includes pain-relieving drugs and anesthetics delivered through epidurals. But anesthetics do not have a stronger effect on the baby than other painkillers that might be considered for use during childbirth. Epidurals have no known long-term disadvantages. One difference, though, is that births take a bit longer on average in women who have epidurals. Epidurals might make it more difficult for some babies to get into the best position for birth.

When women have an epidural, their baby is more likely to need to be delivered with the help of instruments that use vacuum suction (a “ventouse” delivery) or forceps. This is known as an assisted or instrumental delivery.

• About 10 out of 100 women who do not have an epidural need an instrumental delivery, compared to

• about 14 out of 100 women who have an epidural.

Before a child can be delivered using suction or forceps, an episiotomy (cut made in the back of the vagina) is usually necessary, which then needs to be stitched.

According to them it doesn't increase the chance for a c-section:

Having an epidural does not increase the likelihood of needing a Cesarean section

But other sources suggest that it can increase the likelihood of a c-section:

You might find that your epidural makes pushing more difficult and additional medications or interventions may be needed such forceps or cesarean.

^{source: the American Pregnancy Association}

Because a standard epidural can decrease your ability to push, a forceps delivery or cesarean delivery (C-section) may sometimes be needed.

^{source: WebMd}

In an article by the American Pregnancy Association it's also suggested that an Epidural procedure can cause some babies to have trouble "latching on":

Though research is somewhat ambiguous, most studies suggest that some babies will have trouble “latching on” causing breastfeeding difficulties.

^{1 - Epidural procedure can have side effects on the mother which are explained in the sources, but the question asks specifically about the child.}