QuestionQUESTION: My brother was born in 1945 in a rural hospital. My mother says she was distraught and probably making a lot of noise, so she was given painkillers (unknown types). She says she was not instructed to push during delivery. As a result the physician was forced to use forceps to hasten the delivery to save my mother's life. My brother suffered some sort of injury that resulted in a "banana head" and lower than average IQ. Could this have been oxygen deprivation due to my mother's not pushing? Also, what drugs and/or techniques might have been employed in his delivery. (My brother died in 1990 at the age of 45.)
ANSWER: This is a difficult question to answer. The most I can give you here are guesses based on the information you've given me.
The "banana head" or elongated head is relatively typical of a forceps assisted birth. Using forceps in delivery is still a hotly debated topic as it can cause brain injury, including injuries that cause the child to have cerebral palsy. [1] The forceps may have caused a serious brain injury, which would help explain the lower IQ.[2] Since oxygen is given to babies via the umbilical cord during pregnancy and delivery (before the cord is cut), it is doubtful that her pushing, or lack thereof, would have anything to do with oxygen intake unless there was a problem with umbilical cord such as cord prolapse.[3]
During this time, there were a number of medications that could have been used as pharmacology was opening up several avenues for doctors to explore in relieving pain relief. She may have been given any number of narcotic analgesics, tranquilizers, hypnotics, or nerve blocks.[4] Without medical records, it's impossible to know what exactly she was given. It seems the doctor wished to sedate/medicate her and wanted to use forceps to extract the baby. There are many things that could have happened during this birth- umbilical cord problems (which would lead to oxygen depravation), placental abruption (which could also lead to oxygen deprivation), etc. Without medical records, it is nearly impossible to know how or why the attending doctor behaved as he did.
I've listed various references I used below in case they may help you further.
References:
[1] United Cerebral Palsy Research - fact sheets http://www.ucpresearch.org/fact-sheets/infant-brain-injury.php
[2]History of Forceps Delivery - Case University
http://www.case.edu/artsci/dittrick/site2/museum/artifacts/group-c/c-2forceps.ht
[3] Wikipedia - Umbilical Cord Prolapse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbilical_cord_prolapse
[4] "Easing Labor Pain" by Adrienne Lieberman
[5] Great site with sources: http://www.elenagreene.com/childbirth.html
Please let me know if I can help you with anything else.
Best wishes,
Helen =)
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QUESTION: Can you provide me with the names of some of those narcotic analgesics, tranquilizers, hypnotics and nerve blocks from that time (1945), and the normal dosages under these conditions?
Thank you - you've been very helpful.
AnswerUnfortunately, I don't have any medical texts that can pinpoint exactly what could have been used or the dosages. While I do have a working knowledge of childbirth history, I do not know the specific dosages given to women at that time period. I can tell you that pethidine (an opioid), nitrous oxide, and cocaine hydrochlorate as a spinal anesthetic were used during childbirth at this time. However, if your mother does not remember rubber tubing being stuck into her back, I doubt the last. There were other medications being used as well. Though chloroform had fallen out of favor, it may have been used- especially if your mother doesn't remember the birth. Other opiods may have been used as well, in addition to barbituates.
However, I can recommend some books to you that may help you in your research. =) These books will shed a lot more light on the subject than I can with my limited knowledge of the history of pharmaceuticals.
"Drugs and Narcotics in History" by Roy Porter
"Lying-In: A History of Childbirth in America" by Richard & Dorothy Wertz
"The History of Medications for Women: Materia Medica Woman" by MJ O'Dowd
"What a Blessing She Had Chloroform" by Donald Caton
"From Midwives to Medicine: The Birth of American Gynecology" by Deborah McGregor
In addition, you may want to check with the hospital where your brother was born if this is possible. Even if they cannot tell you what exactly was used, they may be able to give you a good idea of what kinds of medicines and practices were used in your area at that time.
Please let me know if I can help you further or with anything else.
Best wishes,
Helen =)
