fyi
latest from the advertiser...
I wonder if the reference to 'anti-natal' classes was a freudian slip....
& goddess forbid that women might seek a "midwife" when looking into
choices of maternity care!
jfairy
*More help for pain relief births*
By KARA PHILLIPS
31 October 2005
PREGNANT women who opt for epidurals are much more likely to need
medical intervention during the birth, research shows.
Those who have the pain-relieving injections have a 40 per cent higher
risk of instruments such as forceps being used, the new international
survey says.
They also are more likely to have a longer second stage of labour,
require drugs to stimulate contractions, experience dangerously low
blood pressure and be unable to move for a time after birth.
The findings come from the Cochrane Review, an independent database,
based on 21 studies into the use of epidurals in labour, involving 6664
women worldwide.
The study found epidurals relieve pain better than other types of
medication but there is a 40 per cent higher risk of needing instruments
to assist birth.
There is no difference in Caesarean delivery rates, long-term backache
or effects on the baby soon after birth compared with other forms of
pain relief.
Adelaide experts say pregnant women should be made aware choosing an
epidural can put them at greater risk of such complications during labour.
Anaesthetist Kym Osborn, at the Women's and Children's Hospital,
however, says those risks are "very small".
He says 41 per cent of women giving birth at the Women's and Children's
hospital choose an epidural, compared with 39 per cent a decade ago. "It
has always been the most popular method," Dr Osborn says. "What is
important is women know their choices - attending anti-natal classes and
speaking with your GP should arm you with the knowledge to make the
choice right for you."
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