Drop in Episiotomy Not Tied to Increase in Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury for Most Women
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Jan. 17, 2025 -- A significant overall reduction in the prevalence of episiotomy in France from 2010 to 2021 has not been followed by an overall increase in obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI), according to a study published online Jan. 14 in PLOS Medicine.
Raphaele Houlbracq, from Université Paris Cité, and colleagues assessed variations in the prevalence of both episiotomy and OASI using data from the 2010, 2016, and 2021 National Perinatal Surveys (29,750 women with a vaginal delivery).
The researchers found that the overall prevalence of episiotomy decreased significantly from 25.8 percent in 2010, to 20.1 percent in 2016, and to 8.3 percent in 2021 (adjusted risk ratio, 0.33). This trend persisted across all groups of the classification, ranging from −33.0 percent in nulliparous women with a term cephalic singleton undergoing forceps delivery to −94.0 percent in those with multiple pregnancy. In an adjusted analysis, the difference in overall prevalence of OASI between 2010 (0.7 percent) and 2021 (1.0 percent) was not statistically significant. Among the classification groups, only nulliparous women with a term cephalic singleton undergoing spatula delivery experienced a significant increase in the prevalence OASI.
"Our results and recent literature suggest that there is a need to reconsider indications of restrictive episiotomy policies for instrumental deliveries in nulliparous women," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted January 2025
Read this next
No Increase Seen in Neurodevelopmental Disorders With Prenatal Triptan Use
WEDNESDAY, May 21, 2025 -- Children prenatally exposed to different triptan intensities and duration, alone or in combination with other preventive medications for migraine, do...
Similar Survival Seen With Simple Versus Radical Hysterectomy for Cervical Cancer
WEDNESDAY, May 21, 2025 -- For patients with low-risk cervical cancer, survival is similar following simple hysterectomy (SH) versus modified radical hysterectomy (MRH) or radical...
Metabolic Dysfunction-Linked Steatotic Liver Disease Tied to Increased Preterm Birth Risk
TUESDAY, May 20, 2025 -- Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in pregnant women is a risk factor for preterm birth, according to a study published...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.