OBJECTIVE To examine the episiotomy rate for women delivering in a regional hospital versus the rate in rural hospitals. DESIGN Retrospective review of low-risk delivery charts for a 12-month period (2006 to 2007). SETTING One regional and 3 rural hospitals in southern Alberta. PARTICIPANTS Charts were reviewed for a random sample of 10% of the women with low-risk deliveries at the region...

BACKGROUND Implementation of evidence-based obstetrical practices remains a significant challenge. Effective strategies to disseminate and implement such practices are needed. METHODS We randomly assigned 19 hospitals in Argentina and Uruguay to receive a multifaceted behavioral intervention (including selection of opinion leaders, interactive workshops, training of manual skills, one-on-one ...

BACKGROUND Episiotomy, a common surgical practice in midwifery, is accompanied with high levels of pain and discomfort for mothers. The importance of medicinal herbs and traditional medicine in wound healing cannot be neglected. OBJECTIVES Considering the positive effects and easy accessibility of Equisetum arvense, this study examined the effectiveness of topical application of Equisetum arv...

Introduction. Necrotizing fasciitis is an uncommon condition in general practice but one that provokes serious morbidity. It is characterized by widespread fascial necrosis with relative sparing of skin and underlying muscle. Herein, we report a fatal case of necrotizing fasciitis in a young healthy woman after episiotomy. Case Report. A 17-year-old primigravida underwent a vaginal delivery wit...

BACKGROUND Water immersion delivery is a non-pharmacological approach to ease labor pain. This paper aims to investigate the effect of water immersion delivery on increasing strength of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) and relieving pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) during postpartum period. METHODS A total of 2749 vaginal-delivery primiparas in postpartum 6-8 weeks were selected as research objects. Ba...

BACKGROUND Whether certain birth positions are associated with perineal injuries and severe perineal trauma (SPT) is still unclear. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of perineal injuries of different severity in a low-risk population of women who planned to give birth at home and to compare the prevalence of perineal injuries, SPT and episiotomy in different birth posit...

Introduction: Pregnancy and parturition process affects considerably the society’s health. Female genital injuries caused by vaginal parturition are very prevalent. This study aims at comparing active and expectant managements of the second stage of labor on frequency of perineal injuries and using episiotomy, as a solution. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, a total of 160 qualified pr...

OBJECTIVE The impacts of an episiotomy on a woman's sex life and ability to relax the pelvic musculature remain largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of an episiotomy on the development of postpartum dyspareunia and anal incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 200 patients participated in the present study. The patients were grouped as follows: vaginal ...

Introduction: During a student nurse-midwives portfolio review in 2013, it was noted that a high proportion of women had a caesarean section and that all vaginal births were performed in a lithotomy position. The lithotomy birthing position is associated with increased risk of an episiotomy. This instigated the undertaking of a retrospective review of maternity case notes of 569 women, who gave...