Fear causes tears - perineal injuries in home birth settings. A Swedish interview study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Perineal injury is a serious complication of vaginal delivery that has a severe impact on the quality of life of healthy women. The prevalence of perineal injuries among women who give birth in hospital has increased over the last decade, while it is lower among women who give birth at home. The aim of this study was to describe the practice of midwives in home birth settings with the focus on the occurrence of perineal injuries.

Methods

Twenty midwives who had assisted home births for between one and 29 years were interviewed using an interview guide. The midwives also had experience of working in a hospital delivery ward. All the interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed. Content analysis was used.

Results

The overall theme was "No rushing and tearing

SUBMITTER: Lindgren HE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3034711 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature