Episiotomy

This page contains recent news articles, when available, and an overview of Episiotomy but does not offer medical advice. You should contact your physician with regard to any health issues or concerns.

Background information on Episiotomy

An episiotomy /??pi?zi?'??t?mi?/ is a surgical incision through the perineum made to enlarge the vagina and assist delivering the baby. The incision can be midline or at an angle from the posterior end of the vulva, is performed under local anaesthetic and is sutured closed after delivery. It is one of the most common medical procedures performed on women.

Uses

Physicians use episiotomies to lessen perineal trauma, minimize postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction by reducing anal sphincter muscle damage, reduce the loss of blood at delivery, and protect against neonatal trauma.

Episiotomies may be indicated if:
  • there is any sign of fetal distress while the baby is in the birth canal
  • a delivery occurs too quickly for the vagina to stretch naturally
  • the baby's head is too large for the opening
  • the baby's shoulders are stuck
  • it is a breech birth or forceps delivery
From Wikipedia
News Articles on Episiotomy



Nia Roberts is trying to get her tongue around words like ...  -  Mar 10, 2008
ic Wales,Words such as amniocentesis, episiotomy and Braxton Hicks have become part of my daily language and at 30 weeks it was time to get my head around a whole

The Real World: Life After College  -  Apr 2, 2008
Anderson Independent Mail (subscription),Granted, I shouldn't be jealous of anyone who has to routinely use the words "episiotomy" or "forceps," but seriously? Ten preggos in a month?

Readers take some hacks at playing Hax  -  Mar 26, 2008
Seattle Post IntelligencerI know from experience that there are people who do not want to hear about your fight with your boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, your episiotomy, your illegal use

Labor Often Doesn't Go as Planned  -  Mar 14, 2008
WebMDAlthough she had the drug-free delivery she planned for, she ended up having an episiotomy she did not want and still thinks she didn't need.

Help my child sleep  -  Mar 11, 2008
Manchester Evening News,Cranial will be effective if the child had a prolonged or difficult birth, eg: stage two was longer than 10-15 minutes, forceps were used, if an episiotomy

Gufic Biosciences declares 5% dividend  -  Mar 9, 2008
Myiris.com,The company provides pharma medicines for diarrhoea (Ridol), episiotomy (Zad-g), anemia (Optifer), infections (Lotril), inflammation (Valsafe)..etc.

Midwives in the mainstream  -  Mar 31, 2008
Fort Worth Star Telegram,At the Andrews Midwife Center, fewer than 6 percent of women have an episiotomy, and less than 3.8 percent of babies are admitted to intensive care.

Fecal and Urinary Incontinence in Adults Reviewed  -  Mar 24, 2008
Medscape (subscription)The most easily preventable risk factor for fecal incontinence is routine episiotomy. Other risk factors for both fecal and urinary incontinence include

Inquest hears baby died soon after birth  -  Mar 21, 2008
Spenborough Guardian,She had to be given an extended episiotomy (cut) in an attempt to deliver the baby, but Matthew died shortly after birth on November 26 after suffering

LETTER: Mom of twins lost without doctor  -  Mar 19, 2008
Winchester Star,I had requested no episiotomy, and while she tried her best to make that happen, it was required, as I was tearing toward my urethra.

Interview with Claire Allan, Author of Rainy Days and Tuesdays  -  Mar 7, 2008
Blogcritics.org,I even wrote at one stage how many stitches I had with the episiotomy when I gave birth. People will relate if you are honest and you are talking from a

Ask the doctor  -  13 Feb 2008
The Monitor, Uganda,Some conditions affect the skin around the vagina like a previous cut during a previous delivery (episiotomy scar), nerve problems associated with diabetes

The Birth Of Your Baby  -  Feb 12, 2008
American Chronicle,An episiotomy is a surgical cut in the perineum that helps to allow the baby's head to pass through. Given time, you may not need one, but if it's felt you

NATURAL DELIVERY IN HOSPITAL  -  Feb 2, 2008
Mother Earth News,When the baby's head is about to be born, the doctor may do an episiotomy (a small incision to make the delivery swifter and to avoid tears in the perineal

Young guns: At-home childbirth is a compelling method  -  Feb 3, 2008
St. Cloud Times,Some findings from that research includes statistics such as zero maternal deaths, 2.1 percent midwife episiotomy vs. the 33 percent episiotomy given by

WHO Responds on FGM  -  Jan 25, 2008
New York Times Blogs,Women with FGM I had significantly higher risks of episiotomy and fresh stillbirth (borderline significant) and women with FGM II and III had significantly

Consensus Report Highlights Incontinence  -  Jan 22, 2008
Journal of American Medical Association (subscription),About 1 million women undergo routine episiotomy each year, and 1000 of them will develop fecal incontinence, noted Landefeld. Although emergency use of

National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Statement ...  -  Feb 12, 2008
Annals of Internal MedicineEpisiotomy also has been found to increase the risk for fecal incontinence. Surgery or radiation that damage sphincter function also are associated with

Drinkable Tap Water May Be Suitable for Wound Cleansing  -  Jan 25, 2008
Medscape (subscription)In a similar fashion, episiotomy wounds cleansed with water or with procaine spirit did not differ in infection rate. For cleansing open fractures,

Vaginal Repair After Childbirth  -  Feb 6, 2008
Best Syndication,Hormonal changes during pregnancy, the act of giving birth, and scars left behind when an episiotomy is required can all cause the labia to become stretched

Cesarean Delivery - Another Way Out  -  Feb 2, 2008
American Chronicle,But it spares the patient an uncomfortable episiotomy or a torn muscle which is common in vaginal deliveries. Besides, you are spared from severe labor

Ask Amy - Mistress: So what if he has wife, kids?  -  Jan 18, 2008
Winston-Salem Journal,The episiotomy story your sister-in-law told at your baby shower. Intestinal problems caused by mainlining potato chips and Cherry Garcia ice cream.

Review: The Business of Being Born  -  Jan 15, 2008
Cinematical,...makes it much more difficult for the woman to use her stomach muscles to push, and therefore makes it much more likely for an episiotomy to be cut,

Shoulder Dystocia and Nerve Injury  -  27 Dec 2007
InjuryBoard.com,...traction on the head and neck or a downward traction on the shoulders. Extending the episiotomy may assist in delivery in conjunction with proper maneuvers.

Episiotomy Not Always Necessary, Should be Curbed Study Says  -  Dec 14, 2007
Newsinferno.com,An episiotomy is an incision made in the tissue between the vaginal opening and anus (perineum) during childbirth and was once a routine surgical part of

Panel Recommends Curb in Episiotomy  -  Dec 12, 2007
WebMDThe procedure, known as episiotomy, involves cutting tissue between the lower vagina and the anus when women are in childbirth.

Deborah Coddington: Use health taxes to actually treat people  -  Dec 15, 2007
New Zealand Herald,We spend $5 billion a year on health and we think it's okay to send first-time mothers, who've just given birth after a difficult labour and an episiotomy,

Baby dies after mum leaves hospital early  -  Dec 3, 2007
Stuff.co.nz,..."She was a first-time mother, she was recovering from an episiotomy [a cut made to help childbirth], she hadn't slept in 30 hours, she did not have the

MUM SUES FOR EMILY PAYOUT  -  Dec 18, 2007
thisisgloucestershire.co.uk,...heed or appropriately manage the urgency of the situation, failed to call for an obstetrician, and should have carried out an episiotomy, the writ says.

Open Communication Between Patients And Healthcare Providers Is ...  -  Dec 13, 2007
Medical News Today (press release),For this reason, the panel recommended that episiotomy not be routinely performed during childbirth. As baby boomers approach their sixties, the impact of

Editorial, December 7: Health service betrays capital  -  Dec 7, 2007
Waikato Times,She was given an episiotomy where a cut is made into the vagina to make childbirth "easier", and an epidural which is an extremely painful injection of

Climate of fear claimed at DHB  -  Dec 5, 2007
Radio New Zealand,A woman, 28, went home last Thursday, five hours after a birth that involved a 30-hour labour and an episiotomy. Her infant died early on Friday.

Newborn baby dies after early discharge from hospital  -  Dec 3, 2007
Radio New Zealand,It says the woman, 28, checked into the hospital last Thursday and gave birth after 20 hours of labour and an episiotomy. She checked out of hospital later

Health Highlights: Dec. 13, 2007  -  Dec 13, 2007
U.S. News & World Report,The experts recommended that obstetricians should end routine use of episiotomy, an incision to enlarge the vaginal opening during childbirth,

Blame 'not answer in baby's death'  -  Dec 4, 2007
Stuff.co.nz,The baby girl died only hours after her mother was discharged from Wellington Hospital on Thursday night after a 30-hour labour which involved an episiotomy

NIH Advisory Panel on Incontinence Cites Need for Weight Loss and ...  -  Dec 13, 2007
MedPage Today,Among younger women there may be an association between risk of fecal incontinence and episiotomy. Parity also may be a risk factor for younger women,

Film looks at the many ways women give birth  -  Dec 8, 2007
Arizona Daily Star,Completely tapped out, she ended up having an epidural, an episiotomy and a vacuum assist over the following seven hours before daughter June arrived.

Midwives give life to birth center  -  Dec 5, 2007
Statesman Journal,...also we rarely interfere with the natural process in ways like breaking a woman's water, cutting an episiotomy, or separating moms from their babies,"

DHB releases details of 'tragic' hospital events  -  Dec 4, 2007
Radio New Zealand,The 28-year-old woman went home on Thursday, five hours after a birth that involved a 30-hour labour and an episiotomy. The infant died early on Friday.

Concerns about maternity services  -  Dec 4, 2007
Marlborough Express,Clearly in the Wellington case the new-born's mum was not the best candidate for early release as a first time mum who had an episiotomy, had not slept in

BREAKING NEWS: FAMILY'S ?300000 CLAIM FOR 'NEGLIGENT CARE'  -  Nov 23, 2007
Lincolnshire Echo,...failed to have a paediatrician present, failed to use forceps or an episiotomy at birth, failed to treat him with antibiotics because of his premature

five operations you could be better off not having  -  Nov 19, 2007
KLAS-TV,...hysterectomy, episiotomy, and gerd. back surgery: when is it a good idea? understand when a hysterectomy is necessary. find out how hysterectomy is done

staying fit during pregnancy can make delivery easier, but some ...  -  Nov 19, 2007
Altoona Mirror,...‘‘it would depend on whether she had a normal, spontaneous, vaginal delivery, and whether she had an episiotomy (a surgical cut in the perineum to enlarge

midwives play growing role in child births  -  Nov 16, 2007
Napa Valley Register,...of the benefits of midwife-assisted births include lower episiotomy rates and more time spent with patients — both in the office and during delivery.

water births: an aquatic approach to birth  -  Nov 2, 2007
MedIndia,...thus reducing the chances for episiotomy (a surgical procedure that widens the birth canal to facilitate birth) again- lesser agony for the mother!

struggle for status  -  Oct 30, 2007
Nova News Now,...no hormonal augmentation, no drugs, no artificial rupture of membranes, no forceps or vacuum, no cesarean section and no episiotomy - in this province

conner's burnt orange glasses: nebraska  -  Oct 29, 2007
Big Red Report...her own episiotomy sutures with a pair of tweezers and a compact mirror. may i take the liberty of anticipating some of your comments after the nu game?

Routine use of enema during labor discouraged  -  19 Oct 2007
ReutersDuring labor it may be torn or the physician can perform an episiotomy, a surgical cut to widen the outlet of the birth canal to avoid tearing as the baby

Your tough gynecology questions — answered!  -  Oct 2, 2007
MSNBCQ: "Hello Dr. Reichman, I had an episiotomy during the delivery of my 10 month old. I am still feeling pain in that area at some times — is this normal?

Oh baby, what's a Sox fan to do  -  Oct 8, 2007
FOXSports.comMy wife and I began the OBGYN search, where I got to learn what an episiotomy was and realized fainting was not out of the question on the big day.

Mom details 'fear, tyranny' of FLDS  -  Oct 16, 2007
Salt Lake Tribune,...a fussy baby and insisted another give birth at home, which Jessop says required a crude episiotomy performed with sewing scissors and dental floss.

When 'Push' Comes to Marketing Shove  -  Oct 13, 2007
Signal,...hemorrhoids and mood swings; thanks for going through those hours of agonizing labor followed by (pick one) an episiotomy and vaginal delivery; or,

Marshfield Clinic certified nurse midwife program reaches milestone  -  Oct 10, 2007
BusinessNorth.com,Interventions such as IV fluids, bed rest, fetal monitoring, episiotomy and Cesarean birth are used only when indicated rather than as a matter of routine.

The other C word – caesareans  -  Oct 12, 2007
Courier Mail,..."A friend of mine had to have an episiotomy (surgical cut in the perineum) and that freaked me out as well. Just the thought of birth changing that area

The naked truth about birth  -  Sep 28, 2007
TheNewsTribune.com (subscription),...who manages to retain her dancing joy of birth despite fiercely unsupportive nurses only to be cut, against her wishes, with a rough episiotomy.



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