About 1 in 4 times forceps are used during childbirth in Canada, a mom is injured: study
A new study from the University of Alberta recommends limiting the use of forceps during childbirth.
U of A experts on incontinence say educating both clinicians and mothers will help to prevent lifelong injuries to women.
According to the study, Canada has an alarmingly high rate of forcep use during childbirth.
“Often women who have had this type of delivery are completely shell-shocked because they’ve got infection, they’ve got pain, they’ve got a newborn and they had no idea that this was even a possibility,” Jane Schulz, professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology in the faculty of medicine and dentistry, explained.
“Education is needed for both patients and health providers that this is a potential complication.”
Use of forceps can lead to some immediate and long-term complications that can include infection, chronic pain, sexual dysfunction, incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
“These birth injuries sometimes result in conditions which are extremely troublesome in later life,” Adrian Wagg, the division director of geriatric medicine and scientific director for the AHS Seniors Health Strategic Clinical Network, added.
'WE'RE NOT DOING WELL COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTRIES'
Forceps, described as similar to “large sugar tongs,” are placed on a baby’s head to pull it out.
“The blades go around the baby’s head and can potentially tear muscles and ligaments of the pelvic floor or cause damage to the nerves that supply the pelvic floor,” Schulz said.
The study shows that researchers looked at close to two million birth records from Canada, Norway, Sweden and Austria with a focus on first-time births.
It revealed five per cent of the women had third or fourth-degree tears to their perineum. Both Canada and Sweden had the highest recorded rates of injury, whereas Austria and Norway had the lowest.
A study conducted in 2016 showed roughly 24.3 per cent of Canadian mothers with forceps deliveries were injured, in comparison to Norway where it was only 6.4 per cent.
Those injuries were associated with the use of instruments such as a vacuum or forceps during delivery, the study read.
“We’re not doing well compared to other countries that were chosen based on similar social demographics and health-care services,” Schulz said.
She added that some women are more prone to injury depending on the size of their baby or if they have a shorter perineum.
That's why both Schulz and Wagg want to improve education for clinicians to better inform new mothers of their birth options.
“I advocate for women to be fully informed about their options in childbirth and counsel women to avoid forceps if at all possible,” Wagg said. “Caesarean section is the fallback option.”
Schulz encourages patients to be assessed six weeks before childbirth to ensure they get the care they need to avoid any long-term damage.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.