This is a fascinating article by Pat Hagan for The Daily Mail Online.
It talks about how an injection of sterile water into the lower back of pregnant ladies, has been shown to ease pain during childbirth.
Apparently, just a teaspoonful of water is injected just under the skin, at four points around the bottom of the spine, when there is severe backache.
The technique has been used in other countries such as Sweden, Canada and Australia for decades. But very few maternity units in the UK are offering it.
This is partly because the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which vets new treatments, has ruled there is insufficient evidence to support its use.
However, that could change after a recent landmark study by Oxford University and the University of Queensland in Australia found water injections are highly effective, easy to administer and — crucially — have no adverse effects on babies or their mothers.
Read the full article on the Daily Mail online via the link below.