Women should be offered more types of pain relief during labor, a body that advises Britain’s National Health Service has suggested.
(Bloomberg) — Women should be offered more types of pain relief during labor, a body that advises Britain’s National Health Service has suggested.
Alternatives to an epidural include remifentanil, a fast-acting opioid delivered into the bloodstream, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said Tuesday.
The draft guidance said women can control release of the drug themselves and cited evidence that it can reduce the number of births with forceps or ventouse compared to intramuscular opioids. Remifentanil may also allow women to be more mobile than with an epidural, it said.
The update also said that women with a body mass index score of 25 or above may be at greater risk during birth, along with their babies. Women should take this into account when planning their place of birth, it added.
A public consultation on the draft guidance opened Tuesday and lasts until June 6.
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