Table 1. Clinical characteristics of the participants.
| Intact Perineum | No Intact Perineum | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intact Perineum | First degree tear | Second degree tear | Third degree tear | Episiotomy | Episiotomy+first-degree tear | Episiotomy+second-degree tear | Episiotomy+third-degree tear | p-value | ||
| Clinical Characteristics | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | ||
| Parity | Nulipara | 116(6.6) | 119(6.8) | 26(1.5) | 1(0.1) | 530(30.3) | 27(1.5) | 9(0.5) | 4(0.2) | <0.001* |
| Multipara | 325(18.6) | 286(16.4) | 44(2.5) | 2(0.1) | 236(13.5) | 18(1) | 3(0.2) | 2(0.1) | ||
| Previous caesarean section | Yes | 19(1.1) | 24(1.4) | 3(0.2) | 2(0.1) | 54(3.1) | 6(0.3) | 3(0.2) | 2(0.1) | <0.001* |
| No | 422(24.1) | 381(21.8) | 67(3.8) | 1(0.1) | 712(40.7) | 39(2.2) | 9(0.5) | 4(0.2) | ||
| Birth Position | Lithotomy | 282(16.1) | 267(15.3) | 54(3.1) | 3(0.2) | 725(41,5) | 45(2.6) | 12(0.7) | 5(0.3) | <0.001* |
| Alternative positions | 159(9.1) | 138(7.9) | 16(0.9) | 0 | 41(2.3) | 0 | 0 | 1(0.1) | ||
| Birthweight (grams) | (<=2499 | 44(2.5) | 13(0.7) | 0 | 1(0.1) | 64(3.7) | 2(0.1) | 0 | 0 | 0.001* |
| 2500-2749 | 36(2.1) | 30(1.7) | 2(0.1) | 0 | 63(3.6) | 6(0.3) | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2750-2999 | 64(3.7) | 69(3.9) | 7(0.4) | 0 | 119(6.8) | 2(0.1) | 3(0.2) | 1(0.1) | ||
| 3000-3249 | 109(6.2) | 76(4.4) | 17(1) | 1(0.1) | 181(10.4) | 7(0.4) | 3(0.2) | 0 | ||
| 3250-3499 | 94(5.4) | 97(5.6) | 15(0.9) | 0 | 164(9.4) | 17(1) | 3(0.2) | 1(0.1) | ||
| 3500-3749 | 57(3.3) | 70(4) | 13(0.7) | 1(0.1) | 112(6.4) | 5(0.3) | 0 | 1(0.1) | ||
| 3750-3999 | 21(1.2) | 36(2.1) | 13(0.7) | 0 | 42(2.4) | 4(0.2) | 3(0.2) | 1(0.1) | ||
| 4000-4249 | 13(0.7) | 8(0.5) | 3(0.2) | 0 | 14(0.8) | 2(0.1) | 0 | 1(0.1) | ||
| 4250-4499 | 1(0.1) | 5(0.3) | 0 | 0 | 3(0.2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| >4500 | 1(0.1) | 1(0.1) | 0 | 0 | 4(0.2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Gesta-tional age | 23-31 | 10(0.6) | 1(0.1) | 0 | 0 | 10(0.6) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.272 |
| 32-36 | 25(1.4) | 21(1.2) | 2(0.1) | 0 | 58(3.3) | 1(0.1) | 0 | 0 | ||
| 37-41 | 406(23.2) | 405(23.2) | 70(4.0) | 3(0.2) | 766(43.8) | 45(2.6) | 12(0.7) | 6(0.3) | ||
| Prenatal childbirth preparation course | Yes | 153(9.2) | 146(8.8) | 26(1.6) | 2(0.1) | 419(25.2) | 23(1.4) | 5(0.3) | 5(0.3) | <0.001* |
| No | 273(16.4) | 235(14.1) | 40(2.4) | 1(0.1) | 306(18.4) | 22(1.3) | 7(0.4) | 1(0.1) | ||
| Onset of labour | Spontaneous | 330(18.9) | 303(17.3) | 48(2.7) | 2(0.1) | 561(32.1) | 33(1.9) | 9(0.5) | 6(0.3) | 0.857 |
| Induced | 111(6.4) | 102(5.8) | 22(1.3) | 1(0.1) | 205(11.7) | 12(0.7) | 3(0.2) | 0 | ||
| Hydro-therapy | Yes | 126(7.5) | 104(6.2) | 20(1.2) | 2(0.1) | 271(16.1) | 18(1.1) | 3(0.2) | 2(0.1) | 0.094 |
| No | 302(17.9) | 287(17) | 47(2.8) | 1(0.1) | 463(27.5) | 26(1.5) | 9(0.5) | 3(0.2) | ||
| Standing up during first stage of labour | Yes | 248(14.7) | 245(14.5) | 42(2.5) | 3(0.2) | 489(29) | 28(1.7) | 8(0.5) | 1(0.1) | 0.387 |
| No | 180(10.7) | 146(8.7) | 25(1.5) | 0 | 247(14.7) | 16(0.9) | 4(0.3) | 4(0.2) | ||
| Pilates ball | Yes | 80(4.8) | 79(4.7) | 14(0.8) | 2(0.1) | 185(11) | 15(0.9) | 5(0.3) | 0 | 0.133 |
| No | 347(20.7) | 309(18.4) | 52(3.1) | 1(0.1) | 548(32.7) | 29(1.7) | 7(0.4) | 5(0.3) | ||
| Epidural analgesia | Yes | 404(23.1) | 364(20.8) | 59(3.4) | 2(0.1) | 734(42) | 43(2.5) | 10(0.6) | 6(0.3) | <0.001* |
| No | 37(2.1) | 41(2.3) | 11(0.6) | 1(0.1) | 32(1.8) | 2(0.1) | 2(0.1) | 0 | ||
| Total | 1748 | |||||||||
| * statistically significant (p < 0.05) | ||||||||||