Obstetric anal sphincter injury, risk factors and method of delivery - an 8-year analysis across two tertiary referral centers

• Published in: The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine 2013-10, Vol.26 (15), p.1514-1516
• Main Authors: Hehir, Mark P., O'Connor, Hugh D., Higgins, Shane, Robson, Michael S., McAuliffe, Fionnuala M., Boylan, Peter C., Malone, Fergal D., Mahony, Rhona
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anal Canal - injuries; Anal sphincter injury; Birth Weight; Delivery, Obstetric - adverse effects; Delivery, Obstetric - methods; episiotomy; Episiotomy - statistics & numerical data; Female; Fetal Macrosomia - complications; forceps; Humans; Lacerations - etiology; macrosomia; Obstetrical Forceps - adverse effects; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; vacuum
• ISSN: 1476-7058; 1476-4954
• DOI: 10.3109/14767058.2013.791268

Abstract Objective: Obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASIS) represents a major cause of maternal morbidity and is a risk factor for the development of fecal incontinence. We set out to analyze the incidence of OASIS and its association with mode of delivery in two large obstetric hospitals across an 8-year study period. Methods: This was a prospective observational study carried out at two large tertiary referral centers serving a single urban population, from 2003 to 2010. Incidence of OASIS was examined as well as the influence of parity and mode of delivery on the occurrence of OASIS. Results: During the study period, there were 100 307 vaginal deliveries at the two hospitals. There was a total of 2121 cases of OASIS from 2003 to 2010, giving an incidence of 2.1% of vaginal deliveries. Patients were more likely to suffer an OASIS when having a forceps delivery than when having a normal vaginal delivery (8.6% versus 1.3%, p