Episiotomy Risks Hemorrhage

Episiotomy Risks Hemorrhage

Episiotomy Risks Hemorrhage. Having an episiotomy, a surgical cut to the vagina during childbirth, doubles the risk of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in women with moderate or severe anemia.

Women with anemia are particularly vulnerable to negative birth outcomes, such as stillbirths, PPH, and death.

The World Health Organization does not recommend the routine use of episiotomy in non-instrumental births, as its risks outweigh potential benefits.

Globally, episiotomy rates vary between countries. For example, rates in first-time mothers in 2022 in France and Sweden were 9% and 10% respectively, and in the U.K. it was 20% in 2023.

Despite evidence that routine episiotomy does not prevent severe tears, it still remains an established practice in many countries, with many clinicians still opting to follow the practices they were taught in training.