Does this mean that these women are all working
around with faecal incontinence? or does this mean that the 3rd degree tears
that are concealed not mean anything. If they are concealed how do they
find them? I am bamboozled by all this stuff!!
Sonja
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 11:04
AM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] 3rd degree
tears
Hi, I've just returned from a clinical placement in SA where
I spent a mindblowing three hours in an incontinence clinic in an outpatients
unit at a major hospital. The mindblowing element was the following
statistics (copied from one of the handouts):
- 39-49% women tear or have an episiotomy needing sutures
- 0.5 - 2.5% have a 3rd or 4th degree tear after vaginal childbirth that
is visible
- 25-35% after first vaginal delivery have a concealed or closed 3rd
degree tear, not visible
Listed as contributing factors were:
- 1st vaginal birth
- forceps/instrumental delivery
- long second stage >1 hour
- big baby >4kgs
- tissue type, short perineum, epidural, uncontrolled pushing, rapid
delivery, midline tear or episiotomy
The nurse practitioner
stated this was all evidence-based information and recommended c/sections to
women who had had previous 3rd degree repairs - these were the ones who knew
about their tears obviously. The handouts do not give references and as yet
I have not had time to begin researching.
Are you all as mindblown as I
am?? What do you think - are 1/4 - 1/3 of us walking around with damaged
anal sphincters and not aware of it?? Where does this sort of information
lead us - if our bodies are so inept at giving birth then all first babies and
subsequently all babies should be born by
c/section.
Sue
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- Re: [ozmidwifery] 3rd degree tears Sonja
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