Perineal pain following childbirth: Prevalence, effects on postnatal recovery and analgesia usage

Abstract

Objective: to establish the prevalence of perineal pain, the effects of pain on postnatal recovery, analgesia used to relieve pain and the perceived effectiveness of such analgesia at the Royal Women's Hospital, Victoria, Australia. Design, setting and participants: we conducted structured interviews of 215 women in the postnatal ward of a tertiary hospital, within 72 hours of a vaginal birth. Findings: the structured interviews revealed that 90% of women reported some perineal pain, with 37% reporting moderate or severe pain. The degree of perineal trauma predicted women's ratings of perineal pain on a visual analogue scale, with more severe trauma related to higher pain scores. Over a thir..