Incontinence, bladder neck mobility, and sphincter ruptures in primiparous women.
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OBJECTIVE: To compare the function of the pelvic floor in primiparae before and during pregnancy with the status post partum concerning symptoms of incontinence, sphincter ruptures, bladder-neck mobility and the influence of the different modes of deliveries. METHODS: Questionnaire evaluating symptoms of urinary and anal incontinence in nulliparous women before and after delivery and correlating these symptoms with functional changes of the pelvic floor based on a careful gynaecologic examination as well as perineal and endoanal ultrasound. RESULTS: 112 women were included in our study and came for the first visit, 99 women returned for follow-up 6 months after childbirth. Stress and flatus incontinence significantly increased from before pregnancy (3 and 12%) to after childbirth (21 and 28%) in women with spontaneous delivery or vacuum extraction. No new symptoms occurred after c-section. There was no significant difference between the bladder neck position before and after delivery. The mobility of the bladder neck was significantly higher after vaginal delivery using a vacuum extraction compared to spontaneous delivery or c-section. The bladder neck in women with post partum urinary stress incontinence was significantly more mobile than in continent controls. The endoanal ultrasound detected seven occult sphincter defects without any correlation to symptoms of anal incontinence. CONCLUSION: Several statistically significant changes of the pelvic floor after delivery were demonstrated. Spontaneous vaginal delivery or vacuum extraction increases the risk for stress or anal incontinence, delivery with vacuum extraction leads to higher bladder neck mobility and stress incontinent women have more mobile bladder necks than continent women. (+info)
Trends over time with commonly performed obstetric and gynecologic inpatient procedures.
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No reduction in instrumental vaginal births and no increased risk for adverse perineal outcome in nulliparous women giving birth on a birth seat: results of a Swedish randomized controlled trial.
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Family physicians who provide intrapartum care and those who do not: very different ways of viewing childbirth.
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OBJECTIVE: To examine FPs' attitudes toward birth for those providing intrapartum care (IPC) and those providing only antepartum care (APC). DESIGN: National, cross-sectional Web- and paper-based survey. SETTING: Canada. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 897 Canadian FPs: 503 providing both IPC and APC (FPIs), 252 providing only APC but who previously provided IPC (FPPs), and 142 providing only APC who never provided IPC (FPNs). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Respondents' views (measured on a 5-point Likert scale) on routine electronic fetal monitoring, epidural analgesia, routine episiotomy, doulas, pelvic floor benefits of cesarean section, approaches to reducing cesarean section rates, maternal choice and the mother's role in her own child's birth, care providers' fears of vaginal birth for themselves or their partners, and safety by mode or place of birth. RESULTS: Results showed that FPIs and FPPs were more likely than FPNs were to take additional training or advanced life support courses. The FPIs consistently demonstrated more positive attitudes toward vaginal birth than did the other 2 groups. The FPPs and FPNs showed significantly more agreement with use of routine electronic fetal monitoring and routine epidural analgesia (P < .001). The FPIs displayed significantly more acceptance of doulas (P < .001) and more disagreement with the pelvic floor benefits of cesarean section than other FPs did (P < .001). The FPIs were significantly less fearful of vaginal birth for themselves or their partners than were FPPs and FPNs (P < .001). All FP groups agreed on rejection of elective cesarean section, in the absence of indications, for themselves or their partners and on support for vaginal birth in the presence of uterine scar. While all FP groups supported licensed midwifery, three-quarters thought home birth was more dangerous than hospital birth and showed ambivalence toward birth plans. Only 7.8% of FPIs would choose obstetricians for their own or their partners' maternity care. CONCLUSION: The FPIs had a more positive, evidence-based view of birth. It is likely that FPs providing only APC are influencing women in their practices toward a relatively negative view of birth before referral to obstetricians, FPIs, or midwives for the actual birth. The relatively negative views of birth held by FPs providing only APC need to be addressed in family practice education and in continuing education. (+info)
Impact of episiotomy on pelvic floor disorders and their influence on women's wellness after the sixth month postpartum: a retrospective study.
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Family physician and obstetrician episiotomy rates in low-risk obstetrics in southern Alberta.
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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 regional hospital, and all such women at the participating rural hospitals. Eligible women were nulliparous or multiparous, were at 37 or more weeks' gestation, and delivered live newborns vaginally, including spontaneous and assisted vaginal deliveries. Low-risk deliveries were defined by the absence of high-risk maternal, prenatal, and perinatal features. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Details of the delivery, including use of episiotomy. RESULTS: Charts were reviewed for 115 women who delivered in the regional hospital and for 140 women from the rural hospitals. Maternal and infant characteristics did not differ between settings (mean age 26 years, median parity 1, mean birth weight 3433 g [regional] and 3462 g [rural], and mean head circumference 35 cm). Episiotomies were performed in 13% of regional and 4% of rural deliveries (P = .01). Perineal tears occurred in 65% of regional (3 with third- to fourth-degree tears) and 57% of rural (2 with third- to fourth-degree tears) deliveries (P = .20). Deliveries were carried out by 12 FPs and 6 obstetricians in the regional centre, and by 19 FPs in the rural hospitals. CONCLUSION: In our study, both rural and regional practitioners in southern Alberta demonstrated a "restrictive" use of episiotomy, in keeping with current evidence-based guidelines. Further prospective research is needed to examine how physician, maternal, and pregnancy characteristics affect episiotomy and perineal tear rates. (+info)