Anesthesia During Labor Has Become Safer

The results were reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in Orlando, FL (USA).

Researchers investigating maternal mortality found a significant decline in anesthesia-related deaths, from 4.3 per million births in the late 1970s to 1.1 per million births from 1991-1996. Based on all deliveries, including those both with and without anesthesia, anesthesia-related complications accounted for only 1.7% of all maternal deaths.

Another finding was that 90% of anesthesia-related maternal deaths were associated with a surgical cesarean section delivery. Women having a cesarean section may have either a regional or general anesthetic. General anesthesia carries the most risk. Regional anesthetics are 6.7 times safer than general anesthesia (2.5 deaths per million for regional versus 16.8 deaths per million for general). However, even when general anesthesia is used, such as for an emergency delivery, it is now two times safer than in 1985-1990.

"The numbers from this study prove that anesthesia during childbirth is safer than ever, and keeps getting safer,” said Joy L. Hawkins, M.D., of the University of Colorado School of Medicine (Boulder, USA; www.uc.edu). Dr. Hawkins said technologic progress and the continued involvement of anesthesiologists in obstetrics should lead to an even further decline in anesthesia-related mortality.




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