Objective To evaluate the significance of dural puncture epidural (DPE) for labor analgesia during programmed intermittent epidural bolus (PIEB) and its effect on neonates. Methods A total of 298 primiparas, with cervical dilation <5 cm, a gestational age of 37 to 42 weeks, singleton pregnancy at the occipito‑anterior position, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Ⅰ or Ⅱ were selected for epidural analgesia. The patients were divided into three groups using a random number generator: a continuous epidural infusion (CEI)+epidural (EP) group (n=99), a PIEB+EP group (n=98) and a PIEB+DPE group (n=101). The following data were collected: the time to reach the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) score ≤ 1, the consumption of ropivacaine, the upper limit of bilateral sensory block level, the NRS score when the uterine neck completely dilated, the length of first and second stage of labor, the incidences of bilateral sensory block level to S2, asymmetric block, incomplete analgesia, replacement of catheter, intrapartum fever, modified Bromage score≥1, fetal bradycardia, hypotension, hypoxemia, nausea, itching, headache, cesarean section, and instrumental delivery, as well as newborn weight, and the rate of Apgar score≤ 7 at 1 min and 5 min. Results The PIEB+DPE group presented shorter time of NRS≤1 min than the CEI+EP and PIEB+EP groups (P<0.05). The PIEB+EP and PIEB+DPE groups showed remarkable decreases in the NRS score when the uterine neck completely dilated, the consumption of ropivacaine, and the incidences of asymmetric block and interlabor fever, compared with the CEI+EP group (P<0.05). The PIEB+DPE group showed remarkable decreases in the NRS score when the uterine neck completely dilated, the consumption of ropivacaine, and the incidences of asymmetric block and interlabor fever, compared with the PIEB+EP group (P<0.05). The PIEB+EP and PIEB+DPE groups had a higher percentage of bilateral sensory block plane to S2 than the CEI+EP group (P<0.05), where the percentage of bilateral sensory block plane to S2 in the PIEB+DPE group was higher than that in the PIEB+EP group (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in other indexes among three groups (P>0.05). Conclusions The application of DPE during PIEB can shorten the onset time of analgesia, reduce the dosage of ropivacaine, and decrease the incidence of intrapartum fever.