provide the sole means of analgesia throughout the first stage of labour.Only 48% of the primigravidae required no other form of analgesia, as against 72% of the multiparae.Complications included a 17% incidence of maternal haemorrhage during insertion of the continuous needle, an overall fetal bradycardia rate of 11%, and two perinatal deaths foliowing single paracervical block. It is concluded that the use of continuous paracervical block should be discontinued, and that amide-type local anaesthetic agents should not be used for single paracervical block.