Objective: Nationwide study on the current level and frequency of methods of analgesia in labour, the psychological and organisation set up of delivery and the feasibility of near relatives (fathers) to participate at delivery and obstetric operations. Design: Annual questionnaire survey (2002) from obstetric and anaesthesiologic departments in the Czech Republic. Setting: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital, Praque. Material and Methods: Women at obstetric departments having delivered their babies in the Czech Republic from January 1st to December 31st 2002. Results: The majority of deliveries (82.1%) have been performed in small hospitals with 2–3 deliveries per day. In 94% of hospitals an antenatal education of parturients is routinely performed. All hospitals allow the presence of fathers in the delivery room. 62% of parturients are not treated by analgesics at all. The general or regional analgesia is performed in 36.17% of parturients. Caesarean sections were performed in 14.5% of deliveries. Conclusion: The majority of deliveries are performed in small hospitals. The effective obstetric analgesia is indulged to a smaller part of parturients only. A little more than a half of Caesarean sections is performed in the regional anaesthesia

        Key words: nationwide survey – obstetric analgesia – obstetric anaesthesia