Laughing gas: the innovative solution for the analgesia of childbirth
Laughing gas is becoming, rather slowly, a natural birth analgesia solution, ie a way to eliminate the pain of pregnant women during labor. What are its effects? And where is it located? Which hospitals provide it?
How to cope with the pains of childbirth? A video explains what to do
Childbirth pains seem like an inevitable step when you want to have a natural birth. But is not so! There are several solutions to address and eliminate the pain of contractions and especially that of the expulsive phase. In addition to epidural and analgesic gas, some hospitals also recommend massages or acupuncture. In this video, Tata Simona tells us how to deal with the pains of childbirth in all its phases.
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The effects of laughing gas
Laughing gas, or analgesic gas, is so-called nitrous oxide, a chemical that consists of a gas and 50 percent oxygen. Its effects are manifold: it acts on the central nervous system, and stimulates it to release endorphins, neurotransmitters that communicate a feeling of well-being and relaxation to the whole organism. It would be precisely the action of laughing gas and favor the expulsion of the child and especially to eliminate pain. It is thanks to these effects that laughing gas is becoming a valid alternative to natural birth anesthesia.
The pros and cons of using gas
Compared to the epidural, which is still an anesthetic puncture done at the spinal level, laughing gas is less invasive. It simply involves inhaling a gas through a mask, and often the mother is given control over the amount released, so that she itself can regulate itself according to the pain perceived from moment to moment. The advantages are different: the mother is always alert and maintains control of all her muscles and body. Experts say it does not involve risks for the mother or the baby. and that it can be inhaled for a prolonged time, for example in cases of long labor. Doctors confirm that there are no short-term or long-term consequences. However, the disadvantages that may arise are different: laughing gas stimulates the feeling euphoric, and not all women may find it appropriate to laugh during childbirth.However, once this possible embarrassment has been overcome, the laughing gas is not metabolized by the body, so it should be inhaled continuously as needed: it is possible that not all women would like to keep a mask on their face perpetually, thinking about regulating the emission of gas and losing concentration.
Laughing gas: where is it?
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The use of gas as a birth pain reliever is widespread in the United States, Great Britain and Australia. Some Italian hospitals have begun to experiment with it during this year, such as the Clinical Institute of the City of Brescia. The other hospitals that are beginning to adopt it are the Mangiagalli Clinic in Milan, the Policlinico Umberto I in Rome, the Careggi in Florence and other hospitals in the province.
