4.3 Interpretation
The effect of maternal age on the rate of episiotomy is thought to be
attributed to perineal rigidity. Younger patients tend to have a more
rigid perineum, which increases the incidence of episiotomy.
The effect of gravidity and parity is thought to be attributed to
multiple factors, including; perineal rigidity as a patient’s perineum
is less likely to be rigid with each pregnancy and delivery, the
duration of labor which decreases in patients with more pregnancies and
deliveries, and the patient’s experience and level of cooperation with
the healthcare team.
Cervical diameter is an indication of how advanced the delivery is, and
affects the duration a patient spends in the delivery ward[19]. The
earlier a patient presents, the more likely they would receive an
episiotomy to decrease the duration of labor.
Instrumental deliveries and the vaginal delivery of fetuses with an
atypical presentation are rarely practiced in Kasr Alainy OBGYN
Hospital, these patients are mostly scheduled for C-sections. But all
patients who did deliver vaginally with an atypical presentation had an
episiotomy.
Gestational weight and age were not found to have a statistically
significant effect on the incidence of episiotomy. However, it is
thought that a bigger fetal head distends the perineum further, thereby
increasing the incidence of episiotomy. While episiotomy is likely
practiced in preterm deliveries to slow the progression of a precipitous
labor.
Little is known about the effects of episiotomy in Kasr Alainy patients
as there is no follow-up program to check-up on patients in the
post-partum period when it comes to episiotomy and perineal tissue
health.