| 41. | Damage to the anal sphincter caused by episiotomy can result in faecal incontinence ( loss of control over defecation ).
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| 42. | Last, because episiotomy speeds the pushing stage of labor, doctors believed that it would prevent injury to the baby.
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| 43. | Episiotomy is done in an effort to prevent against soft-tissue tearing which may involve the anal sphincter and rectum.
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| 44. | Yet it has never been demonstrated that episiotomies do what they are supposed to do : prevent the vaginal opening from tearing.
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| 45. | At other hospitals, episiotomy is still used, but the number of procedures has declined drastically in the last 20 years.
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| 46. | The first cut, called a midline episiotomy, goes straight back and is more likely to tear into the anal sphincter.
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| 47. | Water birth offers perineal support for a birthing mother, which decreases the risk of tearing and reduces the use of episiotomy.
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| 48. | For example, the rate of episiotomies in maternity homes for primiparas was 5 % and for multiparas it was 1 %.
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| 49. | "I use forceps and vacuum, and I can't remember the last time I cut an episiotomy,"
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| 50. | However, in the past decade, studies have provided strong evidence that postpartum pain is less with spontaneous lacerations than with episiotomy.
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