Association between median episiotomy and severe perineal lacerations in primiparous women
| Table 1: Characteristics of deliveries of 6522 primiparous women who had or did not have a median episiotomy | ||||||
| Characteristic | No. (and %) of women | |||||
| Episiotomy n = 4390 | No episiotomy n = 2132 | Total n = 6522 | ||||
| Type of delivery | ||||||
| Forceps | 1260 | (28.7) | 90 | (4.2) | 1350 | (20.7) |
| Vacuum extraction | 1257 | (28.6) | 541 | (25.4) | 1798 | (27.6) |
| Spontaneous | 1873 | (42.7) | 1501 | (70.4) | 3374 | (51.7) |
| Epidural analgesia | 3347 | (76.2) | 1465 | (68.7) | 4812 | (73.8) |
| Birth weight, g | ||||||
| $ 4000 | 313 | (7.1) | 108 | (5.1) | 421 | (6.4) |
| 3000-3999 | 3183 | (72.5) | 1458 | (68.4) | 4641 | (71.2) |
| < 3000 | 894 | (20.4) | 566 | (26.5) | 1460 | (22.4) |
| Shoulder dystocia | 122 | (2.8) | 27 | (1.3) | 149 | (2.3) |
| Baby's head circumference > 35 cm | n = 4248 | n = 2090 | n = 6338 | |||
| 1345 | (31.7) | 465 | (22.3) | 1810 | (28.6) | |
| Gestational age, wk | ||||||
| $ 41 | 1279 | (29.1) | 557 | (26.1) | 1836 | (28.2) |
| 37-40 | 2943 | (67.0) | 1468 | (68.8) | 4411 | (67.6) |
| < 37 | 168 | (3.8) | 107 | (5.0) | 275 | (4.2) |
| Maternal age, yr | ||||||
| $ 35 | 227 | (5.2) | 94 | (4.4) | 321 | (4.9) |
| 30-34 | 945 | (21.5) | 422 | (19.8) | 1367 | (21.0) |
| 25-29 | 2006 | (45.7) | 972 | (45.6) | 2978 | (45.7) |
| 20-24 | 1034 | (23.6) | 524 | (24.6) | 1558 | (23.9) |
| < 20 | 178 | (4.0) | 120 | (5.6) | 298 | (4.6) |
| Year of delivery | ||||||
| 1985-87 | 1680 | (38.3) | 483 | (22.6) | 2163 | (33.2) |
| 1988-90 | 1644 | (37.4) | 817 | (38.3) | 2461 | (37.7) |
| 1991-93 | 1066 | (24.3) | 832 | (39.0) | 1898 | (29.1) |
| Attending physician's characteristics | ||||||
| Obstetrician-gynecologist | 3420 | (77.9) | 1522 | (71.4) | 4942 | (75.8) |
| > 10 yr of practice | 3532 | (80.4) | 1813 | (85.0) | 5345 | (82.0) |
| Average yearly no. of deliveries $ 100 | 3269 | (74.5) | 1462 | (68.6) | 4731 | (72.5) |
| Attending physician's belief* | ||||||
| Strong believer | 987 | (27.7) | 812 | (43.8) | 1799 | (33.2) |
| Believer | 1646 | (46.1) | 653 | (35.3) | 2299 | (42.4) |
| Nonbeliever | 934 | (26.2) | 387 | (20.9) | 1321 | (24.4) |
| *Belief about an association between median episiotomy and severe perineal lacerations for 16 physicians representing 5419 (83.1%) of the deliveries (3567 in the episiotomy group and 1852 in the no episiotomy group). | ||||||