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Twilight sleep (English translation of the German word Dämmerschlaf) [1] [2] is an amnesic state characterized by insensitivity to pain with or without the loss of consciousness, induced by an injection of morphine and scopolamine, with the purpose of pain management during childbirth. [3]
Pain management during childbirth is the partial treatment and a way of reducing any pain that a woman may experience during labor and delivery. The amount of pain a woman feels during labor depends partly on the size and position of her baby, the size of her pelvis, her emotions, the strength of the contractions, and her outlook. [1]
Most reviews conclude that opioids produce minimal impairment of human performance on tests of sensory, motor, or attentional abilities. However, recent studies have been able to show some impairments caused by morphine, which is not surprising, given that morphine is a central nervous system depressant.
Eventually, the use of morphine for pain control during labor lost favor due to its effects of respiratory depression in the newborn and was replaced largely by meperidine, a synthetic narcotic, first made in Germany in 1939, that had less of an effect on respiratory depression. [7] [8] Meperidine is still popular in obstetrics today. [8]
Epidural analgesia during childbirth may also impact the mother's ability to move during labor. Very large doses of anesthetics or analgesics may result in respiratory depression . An epidural injection may be administered at any point of the spine, but most commonly the lumbar spine , below the end of the spinal cord.
Childbirth can occur during natural sleep, [26] and under excessively heavy sedation, including alcohol intoxication. [27] A diverse list of medical disorders have led to delivery during coma, including head injury, antepartum bleeding, severe hypotension and hypothermia. [28] Of these the commonest is eclampsia. [29]
Image credits: justin_agustin 2. Breathe Deeply. Deep, measured breathing is essential. Take a long, slow breath in, and exhale even more slowly. With each breath, consciously release any ...
Opioid use during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of complications, including an elevated risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction, and stillbirth. Opioids are substances that can cross the placenta, exposing the developing fetus to the drugs.