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Current indications for regional analgesia in labour: what is the place of epidural analgesia in normal labour?

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Regional Analgesia in Obstetrics
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Abstract

The place of epidural analgesia in low risk pregnancy is controversial. Current midwifery and obstetric practice is to identify in the ante-natal period those pregnancies that can be classified as low risk. In assessing the woman her previous obstetric history, general health and age are taken into account. However, women who have had a normal antenatal experience do not necessarily proceed to normal labour; it is often stated that labour can only be defined as normal once the mother is safely delivered of her baby. If normal labour in low risk pregnancy is regarded as a natural process then intervention of any kind would redefine that labour as high risk and abnormal.

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© 2000 Springer-Verlag London

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May, A. (2000). Current indications for regional analgesia in labour: what is the place of epidural analgesia in normal labour?. In: Reynolds, F. (eds) Regional Analgesia in Obstetrics. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0435-3_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0435-3_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-1142-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-0435-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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