Epidural Analgesia and Perineal Tears in Diabetic Parturients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all primiparous patients with diabetes having vaginal deliveries during the year of 2014 in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Patients were grouped into those receiving epidural analgesia and those without epidural analgesia (control) during labour. The outcomes assessed were incidence and severity of perineal tears, incidence of post-partum haemorrhage, neonatal resuscitation and admission rate to the neonatal intensive care unit. Individual variables known to be independent risk factors for perineal tears were controlled for using a stratification analysis.