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Nitrous oxide for labor pain

OBG Management. 2014 December;26(12):10-12,14
December 4, 2014|ObGyn
Robert L. Barbieri, MD;William Camann, MD;Catherine McGovern, RN, MSN, CNM
Author and Disclosure Information

Robert L. Barbieri, MD; William Camann, MD; and Catherine McGovern, RN, MSN, CNM

Dr. Barbieri is Editor in Chief, OBG Management; Chair, Obstetrics and Gynecology, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; and Kate Macy Ladd Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School, Boston.

Dr. Camann is Associate Professor, Anesthesia and Pain Management, Harvard Medical School; Director, Obstetric Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

Ms. McGovern is Clinical Educator, Center for Labor and Birth, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

The authors report no financial relationships relevant to this article.

Should your birthing unit make nitrous oxide available for your laboring patients?

We predict an expanding role
There are many pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic options for managing labor pain, including a supportive birth environment, touch and massage, maternal positioning, relaxation and breathing techniques, continuous labor support, hydrotherapy, opioids, and neuraxial anesthesia. Midwives, labor nurses, and physicians have championed increasing the availability of nitrous oxide to laboring women in US birthing centers.17–20 With the FDA approval of inexpensive portable nitrous oxide units, it is likely that we will witness a resurgence of its use and gain important clinical experience in the role of nitrous oxide for managing labor pain.  


Share your thoughts on this article! Send your Letter to the Editor to rbarbieri@frontlinemedcom.com. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

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