paracervical block, a form of regional anesthesia in which a local anesthetic is injected into each side of the uterine cervix to block nerves innervating the uterine cervix. Paracervical block is not the anesthesia of choice for labor and delivery, given the high incidence of fetal bradycardia and its efficacy in only the first stage of labor, but it is an option during abortion and other gynecological procedures.
