Beginning in mid-December women in labor at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton now have the option of using nitrous oxide to ease labor pains.

Nitrous oxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas, better known as "laughing gas" that is made for inhalation to provide relief from pain.

"The nitrous oxide is another way that we can offer women pain relief," said Tonya Kellam, a nurse in the Maternal Infant Unit at NHCP. "The gas is a 50 percent nitrous oxide and 50 percent oxygen mixture that is self-administered by the patient through a face mask."

In order to use the nitrous oxide the patient in labor must be able to hold their own mask to self-administer. The nitrous oxide takes about 30 to 60 seconds to begin taking effect and lasts for about a minute.
NHCP is the second Naval Hospital to utilize nitrous oxide after Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla. began earlier this year.

"We're very proud of the care we provide here and we want to be the first choice for patients and families," said Lt. Cmdr. Eric Terpstra, NHCP's OB-GYN department head. "[Providing nitrous oxide] allows us to offer a safe pain control alternative to labor than the traditional IV narcotics or regional anesthesia and we're happy to be at the forefront of this addition to Navy Medicine."

Nitrous oxide can be used as the only method of pain relief during labor, but can also be used in conjunction with other regional anesthesia such as an epidural.

Using nitrous oxide does not have any effect on the baby but there is a possibility of nausea and vomiting for mom.

This method of pain relief cannot be used if the patient cannot hold their own mask, has received a narcotic in less than two hours, has a vitamin deficiency or some other rare conditions.

For more information about using nitrous oxide at NHCP please speak with your primary care provider in the Family Medicine or OB-GYN clinic.

For more news from Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, visit www.navy.mil