Pain perception among parturients at a University Teaching Hospital, South-Western Nigeria

INTRODUCTION: Labour pain is a universal experience. Relief of labour pains and companionship in labour are important aspects of quality of care in labour. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate perception of labour pains among parturients, their knowledge and awareness of pain relief during labour, the types of obstetric analgesia available and the outcome of their labour at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study using questionnaire administered to pregnant women between 37 and 42 weeks gestational age in labour ward of the hospital. RESULTS: The study revealed that 75.2% of the parturients experienced severe labour pains and 35.3% of them received analgesia in labour with Pentazocine injection being the only analgesic used. Only 18.3% had maximum relief of their pains. Parturients with increasing parity, higher social class and educational attainment and who had antenatal education on labour pains were associated with severe perception of labour pains with P values of 0.03, 0.03, 0.02 and 0.01, respectively. Parturients who were given Pentazocine injection for pains and had relief in labour had more spontaneous vaginal deliveries, P = 0.030 and better outcome for their babies, P = 0.028. Majority of the women reported that the practice of companionship and back rubbing in labour helped them to cope better with the labour process. CONCLUSION: Most women desire relief of pains of labour but the practice is still suboptimal in this centre. Efforts should be made towards developing the practice of obstetric analgesia and companionship in labour in this environment.