Nitrous oxide during labor
As your due date
approaches, you'll want to familiarize yourself with natural and medical
remedies for pain relief. One of the options for pain relief during labor is
nitrous oxide. Like many other medical procedures, it comes with some risks,
but it is generally considered safe to use during labor.
In high
concentrations, nitrous oxide is a mild anesthetic. However, at low doses, it
is an anxiolytic (a drug used to relieve anxiety) and an analgesic (a drug used
to relieve pain).
Advantages
Using nitrous oxide
for labor pain relief has many benefits:
- Nitrous oxide analgesia during labor is safe for the mother, fetus, and newborn, and may be safe for caregivers. It is easy to use, does not affect the release and function of endogenous oxytocin, and does not adversely affect normal physiology and labor. progress.
- Without interfering with the release of oxytocin, nitrous oxide does not interfere with the infant's alertness during the early bonding period between mother and her newborn.
- It does not affect breastfeeding.
- It does not increase the need for neonatal resuscitation.
- At doses administered during labor, nitrous oxide is not a strong analgesic. Women who use nitrous oxide during labor may still experience labor pain. However, many women find that it helps them relax and reduce their perception of labor pain.
- Because it is self-administered, a woman can not only decide how much to use, but also decide if she wants to stop using it and try a different method of pain relief instead. Nitrous oxide can be easily discontinued and its effects disappear within five minutes of discontinuation.
Danger of nitrous oxide during labor
While there are many
benefits to using nitrous oxide during labor, there are some risks to be aware
of. For example, side effects may include sedation, dizziness, nausea, and
vomiting. There are also concerns that repeated use of nitrous oxide by
healthcare professionals such as nurses and midwives may pose a risk to the
reproductive system.
However, such
occupational exposure to nitrous oxide can be greatly reduced through the use
of proper ventilation and equipment, and by limiting the frequency and duration
of exposure.
In addition, one study
showed a dose-dependent relationship between intrapartum nitrous oxide exposure
and amphetamine addiction later in life. However, the mothers in the study used
100% nitrous oxide rather than the 50% concentration required by nitrous oxide
safety standards.
However, more
research is needed on the effects of intrapartum exposure to neuroactive drugs
in infants. Fertility problems have also been identified in animal studies with
long-term exposure to very high doses of nitrous oxide. However, because these
doses were much higher than current standards allow, these studies are less
applicable in the clinical setting.
Nitrous oxide, used
as an anesthetic rather than analgesia, has other risks associated with
increased doses. Recreational nitrous oxide users and surgical patients who
receive high concentrations of nitrous oxide anesthesia, rather than analgesia,
for more than five hours are also at increased risk of developing some of the
acute and neurotoxic symptoms associated with vitamin B12 deficiency.
However, they can be
treated with vitamin B12 supplements. However, women with vitamin B12
deficiency should not use nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide can also cause pressure
changes in the inner ear, so women who have had recent ear surgery should not
use nitrous oxide either.
While there are
certain risks associated with the use of nitrous oxide during labor, these are
limited by safety standards.
Requirements for the
safe use of nitrous oxide analgesia include the following:
- Nitrous oxide concentration should not exceed 50%.
- Nitrous oxide should be administered by a woman holding a face mask.
- Equipment releasing nitrous oxide must use cleaning equipment and have a control valve.
In recent years, there has been increased interest in nitrous oxide analgesia during labor. However, more research is needed on the use of nitrous oxide as an analgesic during labor. Although nitrous oxide analgesia is not effective for all women, it is considered a fairly safe and inexpensive way to treat labor pain.