There has been much discussion about consent for labour epidurals
1
and the appropriate amount of information women require.
2
,
3
,
4
,
5
,
6
However, women’s capacity to give consent in labour attracts less attention. We investigated women’s views
on their capacity to consent during labour with reference to the Mental Capacity Act
(MCA)
7
in England and Wales, specifically the statement that to give consent, a person must
be able to: (1) understand the information relevant to the decision; (2) retain that
information; (3) use or weigh that information as part of the decision making process;
and (4) communicate that decision.Mental Capacity Act c.9. Available from: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/9/contents; 2005; [accessed 4 October 2010].
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References
- Consent for anaesthesia.Anaesthesia. 2003; 58: 760-774
- Complications of obstetric regional analgesia: how much information is enough?.Int J Obstet Anesth. 2004; 13: 30-34
- Epidural analgesia for labour and delivery: informed consent issues.Can J Anaesth. 1997; 44: 918-923
- Informed consent for labor epidurals: what laboring women want to know.Can J Anesth. 2000; 47: 1068-1073
- Informed consent for labor epidurals: a survey of Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology anesthesiologists from the United States.Int J Obstet Anesth. 2006; 15: 98-103
- Issues of consent for regional analgesia in labour: a survey of obstetric anaesthetists.Anaesth Intensive Care. 2006; 34: 254-260
Mental Capacity Act c.9. Available from: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/9/contents; 2005; [accessed 4 October 2010].
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Obtaining valid consent (clinical governance advice 6). Available from: http://www.rcog.org.uk/files/rcog-corp/CGA6-15072010.pdf; 2008; [accessed 4 October 2010].
Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 06, 2011
Accepted:
March 10,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
