PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF LABOUR PAIN: A CHALLENGE IN LOW INCOME COUNTRIES
Dalhatu Aa., Muhammad, S.M.b., Amina, S.R.a,Nuhu, K a. & Abdullahi, A. a.
aDepartment of Nursing Sciences, Bayero University, Kano
bDepartment of Medicine, Bayero University Kano and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital
Email: adamudalhatu206@gmail.com
Abstract: One of the basic functions of government is to provide quality and effective health care services to its citizens. Pain relief in labour has always been surrounded with myths and controversies. Hence, providing effective and safe analgesia during labour has remained an ongoing challenge by social and health care system deficiencies that are aggravated by economic problems. Health care sector in low income countries is still face with enormous challenges that must be overcome if quality and effective health care service is to be made available to the laboring mothers. This article reviewed relevant literatures related to labour pain, non-pharmacological and pharmacological techniques used in labour pain management which were published by journals nationally and internationally. An overview of the literatures showed that labour pain has been related to evil, magic, witchcraft and demons. As such, pain relief in general was the responsibility of sorcerers, shamans, priests and priestesses who used herbs, rites and ceremonies as their protocol in managing labour pain. Primitive pain management in labour had been crude and largely ineffective and attempts to help relieve pain were based mainly on suggestions and distractions. There has been a great change in the field of labour analgesia with the practice of comprehensive methods of labour pain management using evidence-based Nursing. The major challenges of adopting the shift from the primitive era of labour pain management to the present day practice of using evidence based nursing in low income countries are: social and health care system deficiencies that are aggravated by economic problems. This article concluded by recommending that there should be an increase need in government to standardized maternity health care system in low income countries, empowering research amongst healthcare workers in maternity settings to providing evidence based nursing practice.