Table of contents:
- Types of anesthesia
- 1. Local anesthesia
- 2. General anesthesia
- Is it safe to be sedated while pregnant?
- Risk of being sedated during pregnancy
- 1. Low birth weight
- 2. Death
- 3. Decreased blood flow to the uterus
- 4. Increased levels of toxins in the body
- So which one is safer, general or local anesthesia?
While pregnant, it is not impossible that you have to undergo medical procedures that require both local and general anesthesia. For example, when you have to pull a tooth. However, you may be worried whether sedation during pregnancy has a bad effect on your womb or not. The reason is, whatever you do to the body can have certain effects on the fetus. Therefore, look carefully at the explanation below, yes.
Types of anesthesia
1. Local anesthesia
Local anesthesia or what is also known as local anesthesia is a procedure that uses drugs to numb a part of the body. Usually, this anesthetic is given to perform several minor procedures such as a skin biopsy (taking a sample) of the skin and also extracting a tooth.
In local anesthesia, the drug works by preventing nerves in the related area from sending pain signals to the brain. So that during the procedure you will not feel pain even though you are conscious. Usually the doctor will also give you a sedative to keep you relaxed.
2. General anesthesia
General anesthesia is a procedure that is done to make you unconscious. Usually this method is used in major operations that require surgery of certain parts of the body. Under general anesthesia, the brain cannot respond to pain signals, so you don't feel anything at all during the surgical procedure.
Is it safe to be sedated while pregnant?
During pregnancy, mother and baby are connected via the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord provides nutrition to the baby in the womb. So, whatever you consume can have an impact on the fetus, including drugs. The anesthetic may enter the fetus through the blood. This is what is feared can have a bad impact on the fetus you are carrying. Although both local and general anesthesia are used to numb the nerves that send pain signals, their effects on the body are quite different because of their different coverage.
Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph.D., RN, CRNA, a member of the Core Faculty School of Nursing Graduate Program at Walden University stated that in certain cases, whether an anesthetic procedure is safe or not depends on several factors, namely:
- The type of anesthesia used
- How much is needed
- Gestational age
A study by the American Journal of Public Health revealed that being sedated while on can cause many complications and even harm your baby, especially during first trimester. Mothers who receive anesthesia in early pregnancy can give birth to babies with central nervous system defects.
In addition, babies are also at risk for congenital cataracts and other defects such as hydrocephalus. Therefore, if an anesthetic procedure is needed it will usually wait until the pregnancy enters the second trimester.
Risk of being sedated during pregnancy
During the first trimester or until the 13th week of pregnancy, the baby's organs and limbs are in the process of forming. If you perform a procedure that requires anesthesia in early pregnancy, it can interfere with the normal development of the fetus.
Anesthetic that passes into the fetus can cause birth defects. Therefore, delaying the procedure until the second trimester or delivery can be a wise option if the procedure is not too urgent. However, if the procedure that requires anesthesia is important and related to your health and your womb, then talk to your doctor about the level of safety, risk, timing, and type of anesthetic to be used.
Here are some of the risks that can occur with the use of anesthesia during pregnancy.
1. Low birth weight
Quoted from Mom Junction, a study conducted on children concluded that babies born to mothers who underwent local anesthetic procedures had low birth weight. All medical matters related to teeth are one of the biggest factors in the use of local anesthesia during pregnancy.
2. Death
Pregnant women who undergo general anesthesia have a two-fold higher risk of dying. Most of this happens because the mother has difficulty regulating her airway. When you are under general anesthesia, you will become unconscious and this can increase the risk of having difficulty catching your breath in pregnant women.
3. Decreased blood flow to the uterus
Babies need a supply of food and oxygen from the mother through the blood. However, being sedated during pregnancy can decrease blood flow to the uterus which is very risky to the baby. In fact, babies need sufficient blood flow to maximize their development.
In addition, it can result in neonatal depression or very low respiratory rates in the newborn. This can increase the risk of serious pneumonia (respiratory infection) in babies.
4. Increased levels of toxins in the body
Anesthetics can increase the levels of toxins in the mother's body. Toxins mixed with blood besides harming the fetus can also cause various complications for the mother. Complications that occur in important organs during pregnancy can threaten the life of the mother.
So which one is safer, general or local anesthesia?
Basically, both local and general anesthesia are safe if not applied to pregnant women. However, being sedated during pregnancy, especially general anesthesia, carries a greater risk because it can affect all nerves throughout the body. Meanwhile, local anesthesia only numbs the nerves in the part of the body where the procedure is going to be taken.
Therefore, doctors usually avoid general anesthesia procedures during pregnancy, especially in the early weeks of pregnancy. Debora Weatherspoon stated that so far local anesthesia is safe to use during pregnancy but still poses a risk to the fetus.
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