2015•Unpublished venueRequires access
Acceptability of Painless Labor among Pregnant Women in Owo, South-West Nigeria
Olorunfemi O. Owa, Folorunsho O. Alao, Samuel O. Faturoti, Babajide A. Temenu, Steven A. Lemadoro
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Abstract
Background: Despite recent evolution of the fact that childbirth can be rendered painless, it is still not a generally embraced practice in the sub-Saharan Africa. Objectives: This study is aim at assessing the knowledge, desire and acceptability of a painless labor among pregnant women during antenatal and immediate postpartum women. Methods: This cross-sectional study of 180 women was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of a tertiary care hospital in Ondo State, South-West Nigeria from November 2013 to May 2014. Patients attending the antenatal clinics with previous labor experience and those in the lying-in ward of the hospital after delivery were interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire after obtaining informed consent. The data obtained were analysed using SPSS 17. The results are presented in frequencies and percentages. Results: The mean age of the women was 30.9±4.5 years and all agreed that labor is painful. Only few of the women (32.2%) knew about pain free or pain relief in labor. Most women (92.2%) desired pain free or adequate analgesia in labor. Concerning knowledge of the women regarding labor pain relief methods, 46 (25.6%) were aware of injection, 4 (2.2%) said caesarean section is a method, 22(12.2%) were aware of epidural and 103 (60%) do not know any method. Of the few who will not want their labor pain relieved (7.8%), equal proportion of them will not without reason, that it won’t work or want natural labor. The average labor pain score on a numerical rating scale of 10 was 8.8±1.2. There were no significant associations between labor pain score or desire for painless labor with parity and the ante-natal or immediate postpartum women. Conclusions: Although many of the women were not aware that labor can be pain free, the overwhelming majority would want pain relief and even pain free labor. This should stimulate the accessibility of analgesia in labor in South West Nigeria and in the entire sub-Saharan Africa.