The use of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, during childbirth fell out of
favor in the United States decades ago, and just two hospitals - one in
San Francisco and one in Seattle - still offer it. But interest in
returning the dentist office staple to the delivery room is growing:
respected hospitals including Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center plan to
start offering it, the federal government is reviewing it, and after a
long hiatus, the equipment needed to administer it is expected to hit
the market soon.
"In this country, most people when they hear about nitrous, they think
it sounds pretty retro, that it sounds very old-fashioned and they're
sure there's something bad or dangerous about it and we must've chosen
to eliminate it. But I think we eliminated it because we went for the
more specialized, higher-tech options," said Bishop, who will be among
the speakers Monday at a conference for New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine
hospital officials.
The high tech option selected has dangerous side effects and the drugs can be harmful to the baby. If research shows this is an effective alternative, hospitals may have found a way to cut costs and help patients when an anesthesiologist isn't available. I know many mothers who wished they had a choice between nothing at all and something so risky and invasive as an epidural.
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