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Summary The adrenocortical response to labour was assessed by measurement of plasma 11‐hydroxycorticosteroid concentrations in 20 patients. Labour was induced by artificial rupture of the membranes and intravenous oxytocin. Ten patients received analgesia by intramuscular pethidine and ten by continuous epidural blockade. Epidural blockade prevented the rise in plasma 11‐hydroxycorticosteroid concentration which occurred during labour in patients given pethidine alone, but did not block the rise with the delivery of the child. The findings illustrate the effectiveness of efficient analgesia in reducing the stress of labour as assessed by plasma 11‐hydroxycorticosteroid concentrations.
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Buchan et al. (1973) studied this question.
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