Rate of Perineal Injuries and Episiotomy in a Sample of Women at Maternity Teaching Hospital in Erbil City

Abstract

Background and Objectives: episiotomy is a surgical incision done during the last stages of labor and delivery to expand the opening of the vagina to prevent tear-ing of the perineum during the delivery of the baby. The objectives of this study are to estimate episiotomy and perineal injury rate, indication for episiotomy and their association with socio-demographic characteristics.

Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted between 1^st.april.2015-1^st.oct.2015 at maternity Teaching Hospital in Erbil city; convenient sampling was used to select the study sample (all 500 pregnant women admitted for normal vaginal delivery during period of study). Information about episiotomy, post-nataly immediately after birth of child in labor room and socio-demographic characteristics were obtained from patients and midwifes.Results: The results revealed that the episiotomy rate was 44.2%, perineal injury rate 18.4%, perineal rigidity is first indication for episiotomy which represented 65.6% of cases followed by maternal exhaustion 12.2%. Significant association seen between episiotomy, perineal injury rate with several parameters under study, rather than there was also significant association was seen between episiotomy and perineal injury rate.Conclusion: Episiotomy and perineal injury rate was considered acceptable rate even it is higher than what was reported in developed countries as well as the result revealed that episiotomy was minimizing the rate of perineal injury.