*6.1.3 General anesthesia*

General anesthesia is not recommended for routine delivery because potent and volatile inhalation drugs, such as isoflurane, can cause marked depression in the fetus [16].

Again, on rarely basis, during vaginal delivery, 40% nitrous oxide, with oxygen can be used for analgesia. This is so, as long as verbal contact with the mother is well maintained [13].

However, for induction of general anesthesia during cesarean section, thiopental, which is a sedative-hypnotic, is predominantly given intravenously with other drugs such as; succinylcholine and nitrous oxide plus oxygen. When thiopental is used alone, it provides inadequate analgesia and yet with it (thiopental), induction is more rapid and recovery is very prompt. Thiopental may become concentrated in the fetal liver and this prevents its levels from becoming high in the central nervous system (CNS). High levels of thiopental in the CNS may cause neonatal depression, a situation very detrimental to desired outcome of delivery.
