ON THE COVER:
Breastfeeding is an important public health concern. High cumulative doses of epidural fentanyl used for labor analgesia have been associated with early termination of breastfeeding. In this issue of Anesthesiology, Lee et al. report that labor epidural solutions containing fentanyl concentrations as high as 2 μg/ml do not appear to influence breastfeeding rates at 6 weeks postpartum. In an accompanying Editorial View, Chestnut puts the new research findings in perspective and encourages all anesthesiologists who provide care for obstetric patients to be champions for a culture that supports breastfeeding.
Lee et al.: Epidural Labor Analgesia—Fentanyl Dose and Breastfeeding Success: A Randomized Clinical Trial, p. 614
Chestnut: Labor Epidural Analgesia and Breastfeeding, p. 593
