A Common Childbirth Practice: Does It Do More Harm Than Good?
What’s the problem with episiotomies? An episiotomy—a small surgical incision made at the edge of the vagina intended to ease childbirth—was thought to reduce the risk of tearing and make for faster healing. But “none of these things turned out to be the case,” says Dr. Katherine Hartmann, director of the Center for Women’s Health Research at the University of North Carolina and lead author of new study on episiotomies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. By cutting into healthy tissue, doctors actually put women at risk of additional tearing that can be more painful and take longer to heal than tearing that might happen naturally. Are there any benifits? For most women, no. Contrary to long-held belief, episiotomies do nothing to decrease the risk of incontinence and sexual dysfunction after labor. The incision also raises the risk of additional tearing, including a tear extending into the rectal area—a rare but serious complication. “Women who have had episio
