Perineal Massage and Episiotomy

[Name of the institute]

Abstract

Perineal massage is a method done to condition the tissue for birth by stretching the skin between the vagina and anus. Perineal massage is usually done to reduce the risk of episiotomies and postpartum traumas. Perineal massage is considered as a risk reducing factor for episiotomies in first time mothers. The risk of episiotomies is less for the first time mothers who uses perineal massage than those who do not use perineal massage. Cooing treatment is also a pain relieving method during delivery. Cooling treatment is seen as a short term reliever of perineum pain. The application of perineal massage is widely seen by midwives rather than doctors or physicians.

Abstract2

Introduction3

Literature review4

Antenatal perineal massage and episiotomy4

Discussion and findings6

Conclusion7

Perineal massage and episiotomy

Introduction

Perineal massage is done to condition the tissue for birth by stretching the skin between the anus and vagina. The practice of perineal massage is done to stretching of perineum which lessens the probabilities of lacerations in the course of delivery, and it can also help in eluding episiotomy. Also for the first time mothers, the perineal massage proves to be more effective and if women had tearing or episiotomy in prior deliveries the perineal massage may not work well. Females who had past episiotomies, the normal tissue is much stronger than the perineum scar tissue which is very weak , so the perineum will be more probable to slash at following births and will be decreasingly expected to react to massage (Powell, n.d.). Problem statement

The usage of massage is or is not a useful method to decrease the rate of episiotomy. This reduction in episiotomy is only prevalent in first time mothers or in all subsequent deliveries. Research hypothesis

The perineal massage reduces the risk of episiotomy in first time mothers as compared to no perineal massage.

Literature review

Antenatal Perineal Massage and Episiotomy

Antenatal perineal massage 34 weeks pregnancy can reduce the likely hood of episiotomy and women will report less perineal pains post birth. During child birth, tearing or stretching of the perineum can cause removal of support from the back wall of the vagina, or more likely dropping of the uterus. Trauma in the pelvic floor or perineum can also cause incontinence bladder or bowels and or pain during sexual intercourse. According to the statistics 85% of women will have some amount of perineal tearing during vaginal childbirth (www.ouh.nhs.uk). Perineal massage lessens the risk of episiotomies and perineal pain and the incidence of postpartum perineal trauma, but perineal massage do not reduce the rate of first, second, third or fourth degree tearing and perineal trauma (Dame et al. 2008). Perineal massage also causes a 9 percent decrease in the incidence of pain that needs stitching in women who were without prior vaginal birth or were first time delivering a baby. Also, females who practices perineal massage are decreasingly probable to have an episiotomy by sixteen percent, this reduction was seen mostly in women who did not have any prior vaginal ...