Objective: To investigate the effect of continuous epidural analgesia with ropivacaine on maternal prolactin level and neonatal neurobehavior. Methods: A total of 220 primiparous women who gave birth in our hospital from July 2016 to July 2017 were enrolled as subjects and were randomly divided into observation group and control group

with 110 women in each group. The women in the observation group received continuous epidural analgesia with ropivacaine

and those in the control group received no intervention. The two groups were compared in terms of pain score during delivery

postpartum prolactin level

and Apgar score and neurobehavioral score of neonates after birth. Results: The observation group had a significantly lower pain score than the control group（P < 0.05）

while there were no significant differences in prolactin level and neurobehavioral score of neonates between the two groups（P >0.05）. There was a significant difference in the duration of active period between the observation group and the control group（P < 0.05）. There were no significant differences in the duration of the second and third stages of labor and Apgar score of neonates at each time point after birth between the observation group and the control group（P >0.05）. The observation group had significantly lower detection rates of anxiety and depression than the control group（P < 0.05）. On day 14 after birth

the observation group had significantly higher scores of three neurobehaviors of neonates than the control group（P < 0.05）. Conclusion: Labor analgesia with ropivacaine has a marked clinical effect

with no marked influence on maternal prolactin level and neonatal neurobehavior

and therefore

it holds promise for clinical application.