News: ACOG 2008 Meeting Highlights: Reducing the need for episiotomy

Applying a lubricant to the perineum can significantly reduce the need for an episiotomy among multiparous women and decrease the severity of perineal lacerations in primiparous women, suggests this poster presentation from the ACOG 2008 annual meeting.

To reach that conclusion, researchers from New York University Medical Center studied 120 women with singleton pregnancies in cephalic presentation, dividing them into three groups: (1) no intervention, (2) 6 g of Surgilube (Fougera, Melville, NY) applied to the perineum, or (3) saline applied to the same area. The severity of lacerations was less among primiparous patients on the lubricant, when compared to saline (P=.03). Similarly, in multiparous patients there was a significant difference in episiotomy rates (P=.013).

Most O. Effect of perineal lubrication on laceration severity and episiotomy rate. Obstet Gynecol. 2008;111(April Suppl): 35S-36S.