§ 29. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Health to what extent the usage of analgesia in childbirth has increased in hospitals and among midwives, compared with last year and five years ago.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithNo information is available about use in hospitals, but in domiciliary midwifery the percentage of total cases which were given gas and air rose from 43 per cent, in 1949 to 62 per cent, in 1952. No information is available about use in hospitals, but the use in domiciliary midwifery has increased as follows:
Year Cases given Gas and Air Percentage of total cases attended Cases given Pethedine 1949 128,643 43 Administration not authorised 1951 146,444 58 64,994 1952 150,774 62 81,965 Complete information was first available for 1949.
Figures for 1953 are not yet available.
It is not known how far cases given Pethedine overlap with those given gas and air.