Ontario monitoring epidural shortage in Western Canada, hospitals making plans
Global News
Dr. Lesley Hawkins, obstetrician and gynaecologist at Humber River Hospital, said an epidural is "one of the most popular choices for pain management in labour."
When Shaneeza Shaw planned for the birth of her first baby, she had hoped for an unmedicated delivery, but baby Jaylen had other plans.
“Initially labour went fine and then I started getting a lot more pain,” recalled the new mother.
“My initial plan was not to take the epidural, but I ended up getting the epidural because at that point I knew I couldn’t handle it anymore,” she said.
Shaw ended up having an emergency C-section Tuesday morning and gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
Dr. Lesley Hawkins, obstetrician and gynaecologist at Humber River Hospital, said an epidural is “one of the most popular choices for pain management in labour.”
There are concerns right now in Canada and around the world due to a worldwide shortage of epidural kits used to treat pain in childbirth, but also for pain relief during or after various surgical procedures.
“An epidural is part of really multi-modal options for pain management in labour and the discussion about an epidural happens throughout the entire pregnancy with the patient’s provider, whether that’s an OBGYN like me, a family physician or a midwife … and it is absolutely a patient’s choice,” said Hawkins.
The Ontario Ministry of Health is watching the situation unfold in other Canadian provinces where there are shortages in the availability of epidural catheters due to supply chain issues.
