Perineal massage may reduce need for episiotomy

A recent review describes evidence in favor of a technique to prevent episiotomies or tears to the perineum during vaginal delivery.

Tears, cuts and stitches in the perineum can cause pain and discomfort after delivery, and can have a negative effect on sexual functioning. The suggested technique is a simple massage administered by the patient or her partner during the last four or five weeks of pregnancy.

As a way of enabling the perineal tissue to expand more easily during birth, the technique involves kneading the tissue below the vagina for four to 10 minutes, once or twice a week.

The three studies reviewed, involving 2,434 women, provide evidence that perineal massage reduced the number of episiotomies by 15 percent, and reduced lingering pain. The results were statistically more significant for women who had not given birth vaginally before, but less clear for women who had.

Lead reviewer Michael Beckmann and his colleagues conclude that “antenatal perineal massage reduces the likelihood of perineal trauma (mainly episiotomies) and … ongoing perineal pain.”

These findings appear in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 1, published by The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research, and were reported in an article posted on Medical News Today (www.medicalnewstoday.com). More information is available at www.cochrane.org.