“…These observations reflect the degree to which medications given to the laboring woman have been transmitted to the fetus; sometimes the effects of such drugs are noticeable for many hours or days after birth. These effects include diminished alertness, poorer muscle tone, and poor or ineffective feeding behaviors (Crowell, Hill, & Humenick, 1994;Loftus et al, 1995;Matthews, 1989;Murray, Dolby, Nation, & Thomas, 1981;Sepkoski, Lester, Ostheimer, & Brazelton, 1992; Thorp & Breedlove, 1996;Youngstrom, Baker, & Miller, 1996). Even in cases in which the mother controls her own medication after delivery, such as when a patient-controlled analgesic pump is used for pain relief after cesarean section, similar outcomes have been observed, particularly with meperidine (Wittels et al, 1997).…”