Local Analgesia and Kielland's Forceps

A Review of the Use of Barton's Forceps for the Rotation of the Fetal Head from the Transverse Position

“…The maternal injury rate (6%) was no higher than that reported for outlet forceps deliveries (Scott and Gadd, 1957). particularly in rotation from the transverse position, and suggests a wider role for the instrument.…”

Influence of Anaesthesia on the Incidence of Maternal Morbidity, Neonatal Asphyxia, and Perinatal Mortality

“…The method of choice for forceps delivery is local analgesia because it is associated with a lower incidence of post-partum haemorrhage, maternal morbidity, and neonatal asphyxia than when a general anaesthetic is used; this fact has long been recognized in the United States (Hingson and Hellman, 1956;Apgar et al, 1957;James et al, 1958); but it has, at least until recently, been acknowledged only with reluctance in this country, although, among others, Gate and Dutton (1955), Scott and Gadd (1957), and Huntingford (1959) have shown that a higher percentage of forceps deliveries, including forceps rotations, can be performed satisfactorily under pudendal nerve block.…”

Analgesia for Forceps Delivery

“…There are many American references to its value in labour. Chlorpromazine, another phenothiazine, has been used quite widely since the publication of Scott and Gadd's (1957) work. I have never used chlorpromazine because of the risk of hypotension following its intravenous or even intramuscular injection and the added danger of toxic action on the liver.…”

“…Local analgesia may be used in 60% of all forceps deliveries (Parker, 1956). This percentage can be further increased by the intravenous administration of pethidine, a narcotic antagonist, and a phenothiazine derivative (Scott and Gadd, 1957). This state of partial anaesthesia has been called hypoanaest-hesia by Crawford (1958) and ataralgesia by Hayward-Butt (1957).…”