Lady Christine L. Ong Sio and Alexander F. Bautista
The practice of obstetric anesthesia in both the eastern and western parts of the world has evolved through time. The development of obstetric anesthesia in western medicine has been credited to Sir James Simpson in 1847 with the use of ether in childbirth. Ancient and traditional practice and the influence of the west contributed to the modern-day labor analgesia in the east. Methods of labor analgesia have changed to enhance the labor experience of parturients - from a wide array of herbs and opiates to dural puncture neuraxial technique. This manuscript aims to put in perspective the history of obstetric anesthesia in both the western and eastern medicine, and how each has contributed to the other.
