Murray H, et al. - Researchers investigated how the mode of delivery, Apgar scores, neonatal resuscitation and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit were influenced by remifentanil use, compared with the other analgesic options available in their unit. They extracted data from the Northern Ireland Maternity System electronic database, and retrospectively found women who delivered between 2005 and 2014 and received remifentanil, diamorphine or epidural analgesia during labour. The most popular form of analgesia was remifentanil, being chosen by 31.9% (8170/25617) women, over the 10-year span. The rates of instrumental and operative delivery in women having remifentanil were similar to that seen in those opting diamorphine or epidural analgesia. Similar neonatal Apgar scores were also evident. In women preferring remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), the chance of neonatal resuscitation or neonatal unit admission was not more. Overall, compared to other analgesic options offered in the experts' unit, remifentanil PCA was neither less safe nor it was related to poorer outcomes, when used within their guidelines for more than a 10-year period.