Background: A perineal tear is a laceration of the skin and other soft tissue structures which, in women, separate the vagina from the anus. Perineal tears mainly occur in women as a result of vaginal childbirth and are the most common form of obstetric injury. Perineal tears vary in severity; superficial tears may require no treatment but severe tears can cause significant bleeding, long-term pain or dysfunction. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of third- and fourth-degree perineal tears and related risk factors. An audit of hospital data for all vaginal deliveries from 2016-2019 at Al Wakra Hospital, Doha, Qatar. Out of 13,860 women, 64 sustained a third- or fourth-degree perineal tear. Fifty-seven (0.41 %) women had a third-degree tear and seven (0.05%) women had a fourth-degree tear. Univariate analysis identified gestational age >40 weeks, nulliparity, oxytocin use in second stage, instrumental delivery, shoulder dystocia, birth weight >4 kg and episiotomy as risk factors.
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