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Abstract

Background:

Severe perineal lacerations (SPLs), common worldwide, are associated with short- and long-term complications: pelvic floor disorders, fecal incontinence, fistula, and profound psychological impacts. Limited research suggests that experiencing SPL may influence future reproductive intentions, but research on outcomes is lacking.

Methods:

We analyzed the effect of experiencing SPL during a first delivery among a large cohort of Swedish births between 1992 and 2013. We used linear and multinomial logistic regression to estimate the associations between SPL and four reproductive outcomes: subsequent total birth number, probability of a second birth, interpregnancy interval (IPI), and subsequent scheduled cesarean birth.

Results:

Among 947,035 singleton live-born first-births, we found that experiencing SPL was associated with slightly fewer overall births in fully adjusted models (a decrease of −0.020 births; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.028 to −0.012), but no difference in the probability of a second birth (risk ratio [RR]: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.00) or IPI. Scheduled cesarean was increased in births after SPL (adjusted RR: 4.57; 95% CI: 4.42 to 4.73). A secondary comparison of SPL to severe postpartum hemorrhage suggests that some of these observed differences may be related to experiencing any severe outcome, and some specifically to perineum disruption.

Conclusion:

This study provides a deeper understanding of the long-term impacts of SPL, which may be useful in informing best clinical practices for supporting women who have experienced SPL.

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