Key result
Survey finds lower labor analgesia use in Japan, while epidurals dominate ~70% of French institutions.
Why the study?
Analgesia and anesthesia practices during labor vary internationally, but comparative data between Japan and developed countries were lacking.
Cross-Sectional
Yes
The study highlights significant international differences in the use and methods of labor analgesia and anesthesia, with Japan showing much lower actual usage despite less negative attitudes.
Labor analgesia practices differ markedly by country; cross-sectional data leaves open cultural or systemic barriers to wider use.
Analgesia and anesthesia during labor were surveyed by the use of a questionnaire sent to university hospitals in USA, UK, France, FRG, GDR, Japan, and also other types of institutions in Japan. A rather negative attitude toward analgesia and anesthesia during labor was encountered less often in Japan than in USA, UK, and FRG, but the actual frequency of use was much less in Japan. Narcotics and/or tranquilizers were most frequently used in the first stage of labor. The only exception was France where lumbar epidural anesthesia was actually used as a method of choice at 70% of the institutions. Lumbar epidural anesthesia or some other regional block was the method of choice in the second stage except in UK where inhalation of nitrous oxide was the method of choice at 48% of the institutions. Augmentation of labor was much more frequent and the number of annual deliveries were much less in Japan. Higher C-section rate was seen in USA.
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Arai et al. (1989) conducted a cross-sectional in Labor. Analgesia and anesthesia practices was evaluated on Frequency and methods of analgesia and anesthesia during labor. A survey of hospitals found labor analgesia use was much lower in Japan than in the USA, UK, and FRG, whereas lumbar epidural anesthesia was the method of choice at 70% of French institutions.
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