Effectiveness of Prenatal Perineal Massage in Vaginal Delivery

The present study is a randomised experimental study aiming to determine the effectiveness of prenatal perineal massage in securing perineum intactness, decreasing the need for episiotomy and speeding up healing of the wound in the case of perineal traumas during delivery. Perineal trauma may have social, physiological and psychological effects upon women during their postnatal periods, and upon their long-term life. The sampling group of the study was comprised of 50 pregnant women chosen for massage from among those referring to Eskiflehir Child and Delivery Clinic between January 2003 and May 2004 and another 50 pregnant women chosen as the control group. The pregnant women were given perineal massages once or twice a week after the 34th month of pregnancy and they were taught and asked to perform this massage on their own. 14% of the multiparity cases were determined to have previously delivered at home (n= 7), while 86% reported to have delivered at hospital (n=43). One of the patients who had delivered at hospital was determined to have received episiotomy at delivery. The average rate of those receiving episiotomy in the massage group was 10% (n=5), while it was 92% in the control group. The frequency of episiotomy in the massage group was significantly low (X2 =62,267 p<0,001, power analysis =0,91137). Prenatal perineal massage was determined to significantly decrease perineal trauma at delivery.