Major change to NHS childbirth guidelines as women offered new form of pain relief
WOMEN in labour could be given more pain relief options under new NHS guidelines.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended that a fast-acting morphine-like drug be offered to pregnant women to ease the pain of birth.
There are currently a number of pain relief options available, in including epidurals – a local anaesthetic injected into the spine that works by numbing the nerves that carry pain from the birth canal to the brain.
Gas and air – known as Entonox – and intramuscular pethidine injections are others.
The new drug remifentanil would be injected into a vein and women in labour would be able to control the amount they receive themselves, by pushing a button if they need more pain relief.
A timer would stop the user from administering too much of it.
Women who decide to try remifentanil and don’t like it could still decide to have an epidural instead if there is no medical reason why they should not.
It comes after some hospitals in England temporarily stopped offering gas and air to people in labour due to nitrous oxide levels being 50 times over the safety limit.
How does remifentanil work?
Small doses of remifentanil are pumped through a tube inserted into a vein in your arm or hand.
According to the NHS, the new drug works quickly and wears off after a few minutes – you can use it to manage each labour contraction up until your baby is born.
You’ll need a small clip on your finger to measure your oxygen levels, as remifentanil can make you feel breathless or need oxygen.
Some women taking it might feel sleepy, sick, dizzy or itchy, but these side effects should stop once you stop taking the medicine.
NICE said women who used remifentanil would be less likely to opt for an epidural, compared to those who tried pethidine injections for pain relief.
It also found some evidence that more remifentanil users were able to have a vaginal birth without any harm to their baby.
Users might be able to move around more than if they had opted for an epidural, NICE added.
The health watchdog said it’s recommendation would be open for public consultation until June 6.
As remifentanil is a relatively new option that is not yet licensed in the UK for labour, not all maternity units currently use it.
The National Childbirth Trust advised you discuss with your midwife whether it is available where you plan to give birth.