Cautious Hydroxyzine for Intrapartum Anxiolysis

One difficult aspect during intrapartum care is managing anxiety of the parturient. Intrapartum anxiety is underappreciated especially when intrapartum pain is taking precedence over everything else for the patient. It may be safe to assume that addressing intrapartum pain with or without neuraxial intervention may make the intrapartum period manageable not only for the patient but also for the intrapartum team. However, it may not be always feasible to safely and successfully perform neuraxial intervention. Although there are conflicting recommendations, hydroxyzine (0.6mg/kg per day) could be cautiously considered for intrapartum anxiolysis.