Why should mothers deliver with Pain!! Setting up of labour analgesia suite in a tertiary care teaching hospital – A South Indian experience

Abstract

The suffering of labouring mothers has been a concern for compassionate care givers, resulting in various methods to alleviate this agony. Unfortunately, instead of sweet memories of the labour suite, motherhood is gifted with suffering and pain, especially to females from resource poor countries, affecting themselves and their precious babies. We tried to implement epidural analgesia into standard practice of childbirth, in Kerala, which has, state of the art health care facilities and a decent doctor to patient ratio. After setting up a labour analgesia suite, epidural Ropivacaine (0.125% to 0.25%) infusion, with in demand boluses of 0.2-0.25% ropivacaine appeared safe with good analgesia and insignificant side effects. Parturient were receptive with high index (Gr: 5) of satisfaction. Majority (74.5%) had normal vaginal delivery and 94% babies delivered had Apgar 9 at 1. It is mainly the attitude of the family and physicians, which warrants a “change” from what they consider as “normal” for generations to “active analgesia”.