Now NHS tells Scottish mums: Please DON'T use gas and air in childbirth … it's bad for the planet
The is to warn pregnant women that they shouldn't use gas and air because it's harmful to the environment. The health service has launched a crackdown on harmful greenhouse gas emissions from the most popular method of pain relief for women during labour. The Scottish Government has written to all health boards with an NHS plan which suggests women should be encouraged not to use Entonox for the good of the planet. It proposes expectant mothers play their part in 'a collaborative mitigation approach' to cutting the impact of Entonox. It warns: 'Future recommendations may require that education and training on the environmental impact of different analgesic techniques for labour should be made available to expectant mothers and care givers by antenatal services and delivery suite teams.' Entonox, or gas and air, is popular with mums-to-be because it has no harmful side-effects for them or the baby. However, along with oxygen, it contains nitrous oxide a powerful greenhouse gas. Campaigners fear that the move could put women under pressure to shun Entonox for more invasive analgesics. Milli Hill, author of the Positive Birth Book, said: 'I worry that if women are told the choice of gas and air could potentially be damaging for the environment, but not offered any alternative, then this could just put more pressure on women to make compromises and sacrifices at an individual level, when we know that there are many more impactful ways in which both the NHS and the government could address climate change at a national and global level. 'Birth in the UK is becoming increasingly medicalised, and any threat to the option of gas and air could exacerbate this, as women will probably turn to more invasive forms of pain relief.' Studies show nitrous oxide is almost 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to global warming. In a letter to boards, the Scottish Government described it as a 'pollutant with a long atmospheric life' and 'an ozone depleting substance'. Attached to the letter was the NHS Scotland Nitrous Oxide Mitigation Implementation Plan which says the health service aims for zero nitrous oxide emissions by 2027. Some hospitals have tried 'cracking' technology, which breaks Entonox down into harmless nitrogen and oxygen. However, the plan said that required 'excellent technique by patients and staff to correctly use a mask system'. It then suggested mothers-to-be receive training on the environmental effect of different pain relief options, saying: 'The programme lead is keen to develop a collaborative mitigation approach working with expectant mothers, delivery suites teams and antenatal services to explore and articulate a full suite non-pharmacological and pharmacological options. 'Future recommendations may require that education and training on the environmental impact of different analgesic techniques for labour should be made available to expectant mothers and care givers by antenatal services and delivery suite teams.' A spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said it is 'vital' that all women 'have access to safe and effective pain relief'. Jaki Lambert, director for Scotland at the Royal College of Midwives, said it 'supports a move to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly NHS, but at the same time we would not want to see the pain relief options available to women reduced, until more sustainable ones are developed and available'. Last night the Scottish Government said that although there are environmental concerns about Entonox, it would continue to be made available. A spokesman said: 'Women will continue to have the same access to pain relief they always have, with staff to support them in making the best choices about their birth plan. 'Any suggestion that nitrous oxide will be withdrawn or not be available for patients is simply false.'