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American Journal of Obstetrics and... Mar 2024Perineal trauma after vaginal birth is common, with approximately 9 of 10 women being affected. Second-degree perineal tears are twice as likely to occur in primiparous... (Review)
Review
Perineal trauma after vaginal birth is common, with approximately 9 of 10 women being affected. Second-degree perineal tears are twice as likely to occur in primiparous births, with a incidence of 40%. The incidence of obstetrical anal sphincter injury is approximately 3%, with a significantly higher rate in primiparous than in multiparous women (6% vs 2%). Obstetrical anal sphincter injury is a significant risk factor for the development of anal incontinence, with approximately 10% of women developing symptoms within a year following vaginal birth. Obstetrical anal sphincter injuries have significant medicolegal implications and contribute greatly to healthcare costs. For example, in 2013 and 2014, the economic burden of obstetrical anal sphincter injuries in the United Kingdom ranged between £3.7 million (with assisted vaginal birth) and £9.8 million (with spontaneous vaginal birth). In the United States, complications associated with trauma to the perineum incurred costs of approximately $83 million between 2007 and 2011. It is therefore crucial to focus on improvements in clinical care to reduce this risk and minimize the development of perineal trauma, particularly obstetrical anal sphincter injuries. Identification of risk factors allows modification of obstetrical practice with the aim of reducing the rate of perineal trauma and its attendant associated morbidity. Risk factors associated with second-degree perineal trauma include increased fetal birthweight, operative vaginal birth, prolonged second stage of labor, maternal birth position, and advanced maternal age. With obstetrical anal sphincter injury, risk factors include induction of labor, augmentation of labor, epidural, increased fetal birthweight, fetal malposition (occiput posterior), midline episiotomy, operative vaginal birth, Asian ethnicity, and primiparity. Obstetrical practice can be modified both antenatally and intrapartum. The evidence suggests that in the antenatal period, perineal massage can be commenced in the third trimester of pregnancy to increase muscle elasticity and allow stretching of the perineum during birth, thereby reducing the risk of tearing or need for episiotomy. With regard to the intrapartum period, there is a growing body of evidence from the United Kingdom, Norway, and Denmark suggesting that the implementation of quality improvement initiatives including the training of clinicians in manual perineal protection and mediolateral episiotomy can reduce the incidence of obstetrical anal sphincter injury. With episiotomy, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics recommends restrictive rather than routine use of episiotomy. This is particularly the case with unassisted vaginal births. However, there is a role for episiotomy, specifically mediolateral or lateral, with assisted vaginal births. This is specifically the case with nulliparous vacuum and forceps births, given that the use of mediolateral or lateral episiotomy has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of obstetrical anal sphincter injury in these groups by 43% and 68%, respectively. However, the complications associated with episiotomy including perineal pain, dyspareunia, and sexual dysfunction should be acknowledged. Despite considerable research, interventions for reducing the risk of perineal trauma remain a subject of controversy. In this review article, we present the available data on the prevention of perineal trauma by describing the risk factors associated with perineal trauma and interventions that can be implemented to prevent perineal trauma, in particular obstetrical anal sphincter injury.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Birth Weight; Episiotomy; Parity; Parturition; Lacerations; Anal Canal; Risk Factors; Perineum; Obstetric Labor Complications
PubMed: 37635056
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.06.021 -
Journal of Mother and Child Jun 2023Nowadays, we are witnessing a decrease of vaginal instrumental deliveries and continuous increase of caesarean section rate. However, proper identification of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Nowadays, we are witnessing a decrease of vaginal instrumental deliveries and continuous increase of caesarean section rate. However, proper identification of possibility of execution, indications for instrumental delivery and their skilful use may improve the broadly understood maternal and neonatal outcomes. The aim of this study is to present prevalence, risk factors, indications and outcomes of forceps deliveries among the patients at Department of Perinatology, Lodz.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A retrospective study was conducted at the Department of Perinatology, Medical University of Lodz. The study included forceps deliveries carried out between January 2019 and December 2022. Total number of 147 cases were analysed in terms of indications for forceps delivery and maternal and neonatal outcomes such as vaginal - or cervical - laceration, postpartum haemorrhage, perineal tear, newborn injuries, Apgar score, umbilical cord blood gas analysis, NICU admission and cranial ultrasound scans.
RESULTS
The prevalence of forceps delivery was 2.2%. The most common indication for forceps delivery was foetal distress (81.6%). Among mothers, the most frequent complication was vaginal laceration (40.1%). Third-and fourth-degree perineal tears were not noted. Regarding neonatal outcomes, Apgar score ≥ 8 after 1st and 5th minute of life received accordingly 91.2% and 98% of newborns. Only 8.8% experienced severe birth injuries (subperiosteal haematoma, clavicle fracture).
CONCLUSIONS
Although foetal distress is the most common indication for forceps delivery, the vast majority of newborns were born in good condition and did not require admission to NICU. Taking into consideration high efficacy and low risk of neonatal and maternal complications, forceps should remain in modern obstetrics.
Topics: Humans; Infant, Newborn; Pregnancy; Female; Cesarean Section; Fetal Distress; Retrospective Studies; Lacerations; Vacuum Extraction, Obstetrical; Obstetrical Forceps
PubMed: 37920112
DOI: 10.34763/jmotherandchild.20232701.d-23-00057 -
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) Oct 2023argue that Canada’s high rates of maternal and neonatal trauma following operative vaginal delivery warrant urgent recognition, transparency, and action
argue that Canada’s high rates of maternal and neonatal trauma following operative vaginal delivery warrant urgent recognition, transparency, and action
Topics: Pregnancy; Infant, Newborn; Female; Humans; Vacuum Extraction, Obstetrical; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Birth Injuries; Family; Surgical Instruments; Obstetrical Forceps; Delivery, Obstetric; Extraction, Obstetrical; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 37857419
DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-073991 -
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Apr 2024The objective of this study was to identify and qualify, by means of a three-dimensional kinematic analysis, the postures and movements of obstetricians during a...
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to identify and qualify, by means of a three-dimensional kinematic analysis, the postures and movements of obstetricians during a simulated forceps birth, and then to study the association of the obstetricians' experience with the technique adopted.
METHOD
Fifty-seven volunteer obstetricians, 20 from the Limoges and 37 from the Poitiers University hospitals, were included in this multi-centric study. They were classified into 3 groups: beginners, intermediates, and experts, beginners having performed fewer than 10 forceps deliveries in real conditions, intermediates between 10 and 100, and experts more than 100. The posture and movements of the obstetricians were recorded between December 2020 and March 2021 using an optoelectronic motion capture system during simulated forceps births. Joint angles qualifying these postures and movements were analysed between the three phases of the foetal traction. These phases were defined by the passage of a virtual point associated with the forceps blade through two anatomical planes: the mid-pelvis and the pelvic outlet. Then, a consolidated ascending hierarchical classification (AHC) was applied to these data in order to objectify the existence of groups of similar behaviours.
RESULTS
The AHC distinguished four different postures adopted when crossing the first plane and three different traction techniques. 48% of the beginners adopted one of the two raised posture, 22% being raised without trunk flexion and 26% raised with trunk flexion. Conversely, 58% of the experts positioned themselves in a "chevalier servant" posture (going down on one knee) and 25% in a "squatting" posture before initiating traction. The results also show that the joint movement amplitude tends to reduce with the level of expertise.
CONCLUSION
Forceps delivery was performed in different ways, with the experienced obstetricians favouring postures that enabled observation at the level of the maternal perineum and techniques reducing movement amplitude. The first perspective of this work is to relate these different techniques to the traction force generated. The results of these studies have the potential to contribute to the training of obstetricians in forceps delivery, and to improve the safety of women and newborns.
Topics: Pregnancy; Humans; Female; Infant, Newborn; Extraction, Obstetrical; Obstetricians; Delivery, Obstetric; Obstetrical Forceps; Posture
PubMed: 38589802
DOI: 10.1186/s12884-024-06457-4 -
AJOG Global Reports Nov 2023The risk of third- and fourth-degree perineal laceration after vaginal delivery in patients with obesity is relatively understudied and has mixed findings in existing...
BACKGROUND
The risk of third- and fourth-degree perineal laceration after vaginal delivery in patients with obesity is relatively understudied and has mixed findings in existing literature.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to examine the association of maternal obesity and obstetric anal sphincter injuries at vaginal delivery.
STUDY DESIGN
The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample was retrospectively queried to examine 7,385,341 vaginal deliveries from January 2017 to December 2019. The exposure assignment was obesity status. The main outcomes were third- and fourth-degree perineal lacerations after vaginal delivery. Statistical analysis examining the exposure-outcome association included (1) inverse probability of treatment weighting with log-Poisson regression generalized linear model to account for prepregnant and pregnant confounders for the exposure and (2) multinomial regression model to account for delivery factors in the inverse probability of treatment weighting cohort. The secondary outcomes included (1) the temporal trends of fourth-degree laceration and its associated factors at cohort level and (2) risk factor patterns for fourth-degree laceration by constructing a classification tree model.
RESULTS
In the inverse probability of treatment weighting cohort, patients with obesity were less likely to have fourth-degree lacerations and third-degree lacerations than patients without obesity (fourth-degree laceration: 2.3 vs 3.9 per 1000 vaginal deliveries, respectively; adjusted odds ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.56-0.69; third-degree laceration: 15.6 vs 20.1 per 1000 vaginal deliveries, respectively; adjusted odds ratio, 0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.82). In contrast, in patients with obesity vs those without obesity, forceps delivery (54.7 vs 3.3 per 1000 vaginal deliveries, respectively; adjusted odds ratio, 17.73; 95% confidence interval, 16.17-19.44), vacuum-assisted delivery (19.8 vs 2.9 per 1000 vaginal deliveries, respectively; adjusted odds ratio, 5.18; 95% confidence interval, 4.85-5.53), episiotomy (19.2 vs 2.8 per 1000 vaginal deliveries, respectively; adjusted odds ratio, 3.95; 95% confidence interval, 3.71-4.20), and shoulder dystocia (17.8 vs 3.4 per 1000 vaginal deliveries, respectively; adjusted odds ratio, 2.60; 95% confidence interval, 2.29-2.94) were associated with more than a 2-fold increased risk of fourth-degree perineal laceration. Among the group with obesity, patients who had forceps delivery and shoulder dystocia had the highest incidence of fourth-degree laceration (105.3 per 1000 vaginal deliveries). Among the group without obesity, patients who had forceps delivery, shoulder dystocia, and macrosomia had the highest incidence of fourth-degree laceration (294.1 per 1000 vaginal deliveries). The incidence of fourth-degree perineal laceration decreased by 11.9% over time ( trend=.004); moreover, forceps delivery, vacuum-assisted delivery, and episiotomy decreased by 3.8%, 7.6%, and 29.5%, respectively (all, trend<.05).
CONCLUSION
This national-level analysis suggests that patients with obesity are less likely to have obstetric anal sphincter injuries at the time of vaginal delivery. Furthermore, this analysis confirms other known risk factors for fourth-degree laceration, such as forceps delivery, vacuum-assisted delivery, episiotomy, and shoulder dystocia. However, we noted a decreasing trend in fourth-degree lacerations, which may be due to evolving obstetrical practices.
PubMed: 37885968
DOI: 10.1016/j.xagr.2023.100272 -
Scientific Reports May 2024To investigate neonatal injuries, morbidities and risk factors related to vaginal deliveries. This retrospective, descriptive study identified 3500 patients who...
To investigate neonatal injuries, morbidities and risk factors related to vaginal deliveries. This retrospective, descriptive study identified 3500 patients who underwent vaginal delivery between 2020 and 2022. Demographic data, neonatal injuries, complications arising from vaginal delivery and pertinent risk factors were documented. Neonatal injuries and morbidities were prevalent in cases of assisted vacuum delivery, gestational diabetes mellitus class A2 (GDMA2) and pre-eclampsia with severe features. Caput succedaneum and petechiae were observed in 291/3500 cases (8.31%) and 108/3500 cases (3.09%), respectively. Caput succedaneum was associated with multiparity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.22-0.57, P < 0.001) and assisted vacuum delivery (AOR 5.18, 95% CI 2.60-10.3, P < 0.001). Cephalohaematoma was linked to GDMA2 (AOR 11.3, 95% CI 2.96-43.2, P < 0.001) and assisted vacuum delivery (AOR 16.5, 95% CI 6.71-40.5, P < 0.001). Scalp lacerations correlated with assisted vacuum and forceps deliveries (AOR 6.94, 95% CI 1.85-26.1, P < 0.004; and AOR 10.5, 95% CI 1.08-102.2, P < 0.042, respectively). Neonatal morbidities were associated with preterm delivery (AOR 3.49, 95% CI 1.39-8.72, P = 0.008), night-time delivery (AOR 1.32, 95% CI 1.07-1.63, P = 0.009) and low birth weight (AOR 7.52, 95% CI 3.79-14.9, P < 0.001). Neonatal injuries and morbidities were common in assisted vacuum delivery, maternal GDMA2, pre-eclampsia with severe features, preterm delivery and low birth weight. Cephalohaematoma and scalp lacerations were prevalent in assisted vaginal deliveries. Most morbidities occurred at night.Clinical trial registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry 20220126004.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Risk Factors; Infant, Newborn; Adult; Retrospective Studies; Vacuum Extraction, Obstetrical; Delivery, Obstetric; Birth Injuries; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Diabetes, Gestational; Pre-Eclampsia
PubMed: 38796580
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62703-x -
American Journal of Obstetrics &... Apr 2024Poor outcomes from operative vaginal birth have been associated with failure to recognize malposition, breakdown in interdisciplinary communication, and deviation from...
BACKGROUND
Poor outcomes from operative vaginal birth have been associated with failure to recognize malposition, breakdown in interdisciplinary communication, and deviation from accepted guidelines. We recently implemented a safety bundle including routine intrapartum ultrasound and a structured time-out and procedural checklist aiming to reduce maternal and perinatal morbidity from operative vaginal birth.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to compare births where intrapartum ultrasound was used and those where it was not used during a safety bundle implementation period at Monash Health.
STUDY DESIGN
We performed a retrospective cohort study at Monash Health during the transitional phase of implementing an operative vaginal birth safety bundle. We studied all women with operative vaginal birth and fully dilated cesarean delivery with a singleton cephalic term fetus. We compared births for which intrapartum ultrasound was used and those for which it was not. The primary outcome was neonates delivered in an unexpected position. Neonatal and maternal morbidity were also assessed, including a neonatal composite of Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes, cord lactate >8 mmol/L, need for resuscitation, significant birth trauma, or neonatal intensive care unit admission. To control for confounding by indication, we estimated propensity scores for the probability of using intrapartum ultrasound for each case based on maternal and labor characteristics, and adjusted the effect estimates for the propensity scores using multivariable logistic regression models.
RESULTS
From August 2022 to July 2023, there were 1205 operative vaginal births or fully dilated cesarean deliveries at Monash Health, including 743 (61.7%) forceps, 346 (28.7%) vacuum, and 116 (9.6%) fully dilated cesarean deliveries. Over this time, we observed increased uptake of intrapartum ultrasound from 26% in August 2022 to 60% (P<.001) in July 2023, of the time-out from 21% to 58% (P<.001), and the checklist from 33% to 80% (P<.001) of operative second-stage births. Among the births where intrapartum ultrasound was used (n=509), compared with those where it was not (n=696), there were significantly more forceps births (67% vs 58%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.74; P=.021) and a reduction in vacuum births (24% vs 32%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.58-1.01; P=.059). There were no significant differences in fully dilated cesarean delivery or maternal morbidity. Intrapartum ultrasound use was associated with significantly fewer infants being delivered in an unexpected position (0.2% vs 2.2%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.00-0.44; P=.019) and a significant reduction in composite neonatal morbidity (22% vs 25%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.97; P=.031).
CONCLUSION
During the implementation of a safety bundle, the use of ultrasound before operative vaginal birth was associated with fewer infants delivered in an unexpected position and reduced neonatal morbidity.
Topics: Humans; Female; Retrospective Studies; Pregnancy; Adult; Infant, Newborn; Cesarean Section; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; Apgar Score; Extraction, Obstetrical; Cohort Studies; Propensity Score; Checklist; Vacuum Extraction, Obstetrical
PubMed: 38479490
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2024.101345 -
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology... May 2024To quantify variation in the association between episiotomy and obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI) by maternity care provider in spontaneous and operative vaginal...
OBJECTIVES
To quantify variation in the association between episiotomy and obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI) by maternity care provider in spontaneous and operative vaginal deliveries (SVDs and OVDs).
METHODS
Population-based retrospective cohort study of vaginal, term deliveries among nullipara in Canada (2004-2015). Adjusted rate ratios (ARRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using log-binomial regression to quantify the associations between episiotomy and OASI, stratified by care provider (obstetrician [OB], family physician [FP], or registered midwife [RM]) while adjusting for potential confounders.
RESULTS
The study included 631 642 deliveries. Episiotomy use varied by provider: among SVDs, the episiotomy rate was 19.6%, 14.4%, and 8.4% in the OB, FP, and RM groups, respectively. The rate of OASI was higher among SVDs with versus without episiotomy (5.8% vs 4.6%). Conversely, OASI occurred less frequently in operative vaginal deliveries with episiotomy (15.3%) compared with those without (16.7%). In all provider groups, the ARR for OASI was increased with episiotomy in SVD and decreased with episiotomy with forceps delivery. No differences in these associations were observed by provider except among vacuum delivery (ARR with episiotomy vs. without, OB: 0.88, 95% CI 0.84-0.92; FP: 0.89, 95% CI 0.83-0.96, RM: 1.22, 95% CI 1.02-1.48).
CONCLUSIONS
In nullipara, irrespective of maternity care provider, there is a positive association between episiotomy and OASI among SVDs and an inverse association between episiotomy and deliveries with forceps. The relationship between episiotomy and OASI is modified by maternity care providers among vacuum deliveries.
Topics: Humans; Episiotomy; Female; Anal Canal; Pregnancy; Retrospective Studies; Adult; Parity; Canada; Obstetrics; Obstetric Labor Complications; Young Adult; Midwifery; Physicians, Family; Delivery, Obstetric
PubMed: 38387834
DOI: 10.1016/j.jogc.2024.102415