ArticleInternational journal of women's health2026
Prevalence and Predictors of Severe Perineal Tears Following Episiotomy: A Cross-Sectional Study in Uganda.
Article in International journal of women's health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Episiotomy remains the primary surgical intervention during childbirth to prevent severe maternal complications, particularly in resource-constrained settings like Uganda, where alternatives are scarce. Despite WHO's recommendation to limit episiotomy rates to <10%, its use remains high, with risks of severe perineal tears. This study assessed prevalence and predictors of severe perineal tears following episiotomy: A cross-sectional study in Uganda. Methods: A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study enrolled 249 women who underwent episiotomy at MRRH from September-December 2024. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, and tears were confirmed via digital rectal examination. Data were analyzed at univariate, bivariate levels, followed by Modified Poisson regression to determine the factors associated with episiotomy extensions. Results: The mean maternal age was 22.9 (±4.2) years. Of 249 women, 34 (13.7%, 95% CI: 9.9-18.5%) experienced extensions, primarily third-degree tears (n = 31). Multivariate analysis identified two significant factors associated with episiotomy extension into third- or fourth-degree perineal tears: Fetal distress in the second stage of labour (aPR: 3.05 (1.66-5.60) p < 0.001) and delivery conducted by a medical intern doctor (aPR: 2.62 (1.10-6.21), p = 0.029). Conclusion: Approximately 1 in 8 women with episiotomy at MRRH sustained severe perineal tears and were associated with fetal distress and intern-assisted deliveries. To mitigate these outcomes, we recommend: enhanced mentorship and supervision for junior birth attendants and strict adherence to evidence-based practices to reduce procedural errors and we suggest reviewing the indications for episiotomy to lower the baseline rate. These measures could improve maternal safety and quality of care in similar low-resource settings.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.