Abstract Background Episiotomy in Mexico is highly prevalent and often routine - performed up to 95% of births primiparous women. The WHO suggests that episiotomy be used selective cases, with an expected prevalence 15%. Training programs date have been unsuccessful changing this practice. This research aims understand how why practice persists despite shifts knowledge attitudes facilitated by ...

BACKGROUND Medico-technical intervention rates in labour, such as induction and augmentation of labour, are rising worldwide. Such interventions have adverse as well as beneficial consequences, so any intervention introduced must be based on evidence and result in more good than harm, otherwise it is just interference. AIM To describe three common medico-technical interventions in normal preg...

This review addresses the effects of childbirth on the pelvic floor, urinary continence mechanisms and the perineum. Genitourinary prolapse affects 15% of women and stress incontinence 20–30%. The major risk factors are age and childbirth, with severity increasing with parity. There are three mechanisms of support for the pelvic organs and bladder neck. These are (i) the muscular component: lev...

Episiotomy consists of incising the perineum to widen birth canal, and its practice was historically introduced in 18th century (1742) by Sir Fielding Ould 1 , an Irish obstetrician, help fetal head delivery difficult births. 2 In 1847, Dubois suggested performing oblique incision perineum, modernly known as mediolateral episiotomy (Figure 2). However, procedure did not gain popularity 19th due...

BACKGROUND The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the two methods of delivery, "hands-on" vs. "hands poised", on perineal trauma and delivery outcome in primiparous women referred to Shariati Hospital of Isfahan during 2007-2008. METHODS In a clinical trial study, 100 low risk primiparous pregnant women were randomly assigned to two hands-on and hand-poised (hands-of...

Yet, literature review shows little evidence to this. Episiotomy may predispose the gravid woman to thirdand fourth-degree lacerations. It could therefore be argued if this intervention is beneficial [5]. In fact, routine execution of episiotomy is now increasingly subjected to doubt, as much as its role as a protective factor against pelvic floor disorders. Another issue that is more considere...

OBJECTIVE To document the practice of labour in water, to assess the effects of water immersion during labor and/or birth (labour stages 1, 2 and 3) on maternal, fetal and neonatal wellbeing and to compare the outcomes and safety with conventional vaginal deliveries and deliveries with epidural analgesia. MATERIAL AND METHODS Two-hundred and seven women electing for waterbirth (n=207) were co...

BACKGROUND Childbirth medicalization has reduced the parturient's opportunity to labour and deliver in a spontaneous position, constricting her to assume the recumbent one. The aim of the study was to compare recumbent and alternative positions in terms of labour process, type of delivery, neonatal wellbeing, and intrapartum fetal head rotation. METHODS We conducted an observational cohort st...