Labor Pain Relief: Nitrous Oxide Can Help Ease Labor Pain, Study Says

Each mom has her own story to tell when you ask them about the kind of pain that they had during labor. The pain women feel during labor is caused by several things. Some of the reasons include contractions of muscles of the uterus and the pressure on the cervix. 

That is why women who are about to give birth want to become prepared. They would like to be aware of options that can help them ease the pain of giving birth. 

One option is the use of nitrous oxide (N2O) during labor. In a recent study, nitrous oxide is seen as adequate analgesia for labor.

In the United States, nitrous oxide is not very popular as a labor pain relief. The more common form of pain relief during labor are narcotics and local epidural anesthetics.

Around four million women go through pregnancy and give birth every year in the United States. While moms keep their babies healthy, decreasing labor pain is also a significant concern for many. 

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Nitrous Oxide as Safe Option for Labor

According to a study, nitrous oxide is useful labor analgesia. It was conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado College of Nursing and the School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology. 

The lead professor of the study, Priscilla Nodine, says that some mothers even consider nitrous oxide as the only pain relief that they need.

The study examined 463 women. This number is the largest and the first in the United States. The technique of using purely N2O during the labor was chosen by 31 percent of the examined women. Sixty-nine percent decided to transition to epidural or opioids.

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Advantages of Nitrous Oxide in Decreasing Pain Brought by Labor

A study published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health mentioned that nitrous oxide is safe. Not only is it safe for the mother but also the baby and the caregivers. The study also indicated that using nitrous oxide can be easy for those who will administer it. There is also no disadvantageous effects on the progress of labor when using nitrous oxide.

The study also shows that nitrous oxide does not affect breastfeeding in any way.

Women who had nitrous oxygen during their labor also said that the analgesic helped them relax during labor.

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Disadvantages of Nitrous Oxide When Used as Pain Relief During Labor

Although nitrous oxide has a lot of advantages, there still are some recorded disadvantages when using it. 

There are few recorded side effects of nitrous oxide. Some of these are sedation, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.

Also, another concern for medical workers who are usually exposed to nitrous oxide is raised. That is because the nurses and midwives who are exposed to high volumes of nitrous oxide may encounter reproductive risks.

However, this matter may be solved by making sure that exposure to nitrous oxide decreases through the use of ventilation.