UK hospitals have temporarily banned the use of laughing gas on pregnant women due to health risks for medical staff. Childbirth

Some hospitals in England Stopped using laughing gas this week To reduce the pain of pregnant women to protect the health of medical staff. The NHS, the country’s public health body, recommended a temporary ban on the gas in units that recorded higher-than-expected levels of nitrous oxide, which, in the long term, could harm birth attendants.

According to The Sunday Times, some hospitals have recorded 50 times more nitrous oxide than is considered safe for people exposed to regularly. Hospitals in England are equipped with machines that can “filter” the gas and turn it into harmless components, but many lack the equipment, the NHS says. In a statement, hospitals said that due to the situation, they “may not be able to provide gas to everyone who wants to use it and will prioritize use on a ‘case-by-case’ basis”.

The suspension is subject to complaints from soon-to-be pregnant women in the country. In a statement, Joanna Keeble, a representative from the NHS, stressed that there was no risk to the health of mothers and babies, and that the gas was only harmful with prolonged exposure. “There is no risk to mothers, laborers, their partners and babies. Our obstetric and medical teams have long since stopped the use of laughing gas to protect patients from using nitrous oxide.”

According to the NHS, hospitals are under maintenance to carry out adequate ventilation measures and services for pregnant women should resume once safety procedures are in place.

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