What are the types of tears during childbirth?
Most women, up to nine in ten (90%), tear to some extent during childbirth. Most tears occur in the perineum, the area between the vaginal opening and the anus (back passage). They may be: • first degree tears – small, skin-deep tears which usually heal naturally • second degree tears – deeper tears affecting the muscle of the perineum as well as the skin. These usually require stitches. For some women with a tear, up to nine in 100 (9%), the tear may be more extensive. This may be: • a third-degree tear extending downwards from the vaginal wall and perineum to the anal sphincter, the muscle that controls the anus. • a fourth-degree tear extending to the anal canal as well as the rectum (further into the anus).
