Fentanyl as a way to relieve pain during labour

While preparing for birth, parents-to-be often look into the different methods of pain relief offered during labour and birth. Several comfort measures exist, whether natural, analgesic (also called painkillers) or anaesthetic. Each one has its advantages, its trade-offs and its drawbacks. Among the painkillers that are still little known is fentanyl, a possible help for getting through contractions.

What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a powerful narcotic from the family of medicinal opioids, in the same way as morphine, codeine or oxycodone. Its pain-relieving properties are significant. It has been used in medicine as a painkiller since the 1950s, and for a few decades now during births.

Is fentanyl safe during labour?

Fentanyl is a molecule that has been studied for several years for its pain-relieving effect during labour. Its use was well documented before it was offered to pregnant women, with calculated, safe doses.

This molecule is very effective for women in labour, with far fewer unpleasant effects than morphine and Demerol, which were used for a long time in maternity wards.

Even though the scientific community is reassuring about its medical use, fentanyl is still little known to the general public for its therapeutic effect, which probably explains the sometimes negative connotation attached to it. Women who have had it during their labour generally say they are very satisfied with how well it worked, with no consequences for them or for their baby.

The advantages of fentanyl during labour

• it provides very good relief;
• it is easy to inject;
• it works very quickly;
• it is an in-between option between a natural birth and the use of anaesthesia (the epidural, for example), depending on what the woman in labour needs;
• it can be given as soon as active labour starts, depending on what each mother-to-be needs;
• its life in the blood is short (about 1 hour 30 to 2 hours);
• the dose can be repeated during active labour, until labour is further along;
• it does not slow down the progress of labour towards the birth;
• very few unpleasant effects have been reported in women in labour (some felt nauseated);
• very few side effects have been reported in the baby after birth;
• very little special watching is required after the birth, for the mother as well as for the baby (monitoring of the baby remains rare with the use of fentanyl).

Making an informed choice

It is essential that mothers-to-be be informed of the different pain relief options so they can make an informed choice, based on their needs and their preferences. Although it is little known, fentanyl is an effective, safe and well-tolerated in-between option for many women in labour.