十多年前,美国多数大学医院分娩止痛的普及率几乎已达100%,而日本大医院的普及率则不足63.3%。1972年以后北里大学分娩止痛的实施率才超过96%藤田学园保健卫生大学1985年的实施率为98.1%。虽然不少国家采用麻醉性镇痛药或吸入麻醉进行分娩止痛,但美国则主要应用区域阻滞麻醉,包括硬膜外、鞍麻和阴部神经阻滞。鞍麻不能解除宫缩痛,只能用于第二产程,而且会引起血压下降、头痛、胎心缓慢等。阴部神经阻滞也只能用于第二产程。而硬膜外阻滞则可缓解分娩过程中各产程的疼痛,使用得当不致发生严重并发症。一、硬膜外阻滞对分娩的有利因素 More than a decade ago, the prevalence of pain relief during childbirth in most U.S. university hospitals was almost 100%, while that of Japan’s major hospitals was less than 63.3%. The rate of childbirth pain relief was only 96% after 1972. The implementation rate of Fujita Gakuen Health and Welfare University in 1985 was 98.1%. Although narcotic analgesics or inhalational anesthesia are used for pain relief in many countries, the United States mainly applies regional block anesthesia, including epidural, saddle, and pudendal nerve block. Saddle can not relieve contractions pain, can only be used for the second stage of labor, but also cause blood pressure, headache, fetal heart rate and so slow. Pudendal nerve block can only be used for the second stage of labor. The epidural block can ease the labor process of labor in the process of pain, use properly without serious complications. First, the favorable factors of childbirth epidural block