Análise da percepção de puérperas sobre a assistência ao parto em uma maternidade do Tocantins / Analysis of the perception of puerperal women about maternity care assistance in a maternity of Tocantins

Objetivo: No decorrer dos séculos, o parto migrou do ambiente domiciliar para o hospitalar, sendo então repleto de procedimentos que, embora tenham o intuito de ajudar, nem sempre são adequados ou baseados em evidências. Por isso, o objetivo deste estudo é identificar os procedimentos realizados com parturientes durante o parto em uma maternidade do Tocantins, além de caracterizar o perfil dessas pacientes. Método: Foi aplicado um questionário a 70 puérperas de parto normal, maiores e menores de idade, durante quatro meses. O questionário de referência foi o utilizado do estudo Nascer no Brasil. Resultados: A maioria das pacientes se autodeclarou parda, tinha ao menos o ensino médio completo e era maior de 18 anos. Mais da metade delas tiveram alguma alteração no períneo, 25% sofreram manobra de Kristeller e 88% submeteram-se à litotomia. Além disso, a grande maioria avaliou o serviço da maternidade como bom/ótimo/excelente. Conclusão: A assistência ao parto no Tocantins ainda se divide em práticas adequadas e técnicas ultrapassadas. Trata-se de um estudo original e um dos primeiros nesse sentido realizado no estado mais novo do Brasil.(AU)

Objective: Throughout the centuries, childbirth has migrated from the home environment to the hospital, being then full of procedures that although they are intended to help, are not always adequate or based on evidence. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the procedures performed with parturients during childbirth in a maternity hospital in Tocantins, in addition to characterizing the profile of these patients. Method: A questionnaire was applied to 70 mothers of normal birth, older and younger, for four months. The reference questionnaire was used in the Nascer no Brasil study. Results: Most patients declared themselves to be brown, had at least completed high school, and were over 18 years old. More than half of them had some alteration in the perineum, 25% underwent a Kristeller maneuver and 88% underwent lithotomy. In addition, the vast majority rated the maternity service as good/excellent/excellent. Conclusion: Assistance to childbirth in Tocantins is still divided into outdated technical and appropriate practices. This is an original study and one of the first in this sense carried out in the newest state of Brazil.(AU)

Reasons for routine episiotomy: A mixed-methods study in a large maternity hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

First documented in 1741, the practice of episiotomy substantially increased worldwide during the 20th century. However, research shows that episiotomy is not effective in reducing severe perineal trauma and may be harmful. Using a mixed-methods approach, we conducted a study in 2013-14 on why obstetricians and midwives in a large maternity hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, still do routine episiotomies. The study included the extent of the practice, based on medical records; a retrospective analysis of the delivery notes of a random sample of 365 patients; and 22 in-depth interviews with obstetricians, midwives and recently delivered women. Of the 365 women, 345 (94.5%, 95% CI: 91.7-96.6) had had an episiotomy. Univariate analysis showed that nulliparous women underwent episiotomy more frequently than multiparous women (OR 7.1, 95% CI 2.0-24.7). The reasons given for this practice by midwives and obstetricians were: fear of perineal tears, the strong belief that Asian women have a shorter and harder perineum than others, lack of time in overcrowded delivery rooms, and the belief that Cambodian women would be able to have a tighter and prettier vagina through this practice. A restrictive episiotomy policy and information for pregnant women about birthing practices through antenatal classes should be implemented as soon as possible.

Cognitive behaviour therapy for postnatal post-traumatic stress disorder: case studies.

Background. Approximately 1-2% of women suffer from postnatal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with wide ranging consequences for these women and their families 1. Appropriate treatment of women who have difficult or traumatic births is not yet established. Evidence in other populations shows that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is effective for PTSD and it is therefore the recommended treatment 2. However, a recent review of treatments for postnatal distress concluded that descriptions of postnatal counseling are largely generalized and non-specific, which makes them difficult to assess or replicate 3. Aims and method. The current paper therefore aims to describe the use of CBT interventions to treat postnatal distress, and to illustrate common themes or issues that occur in postnatal PTSD. This paper reports two case studies of women with postnatal PTSD and their treatment using CBT. Conclusions. In these cases, CBT was an effective treatment for postnatal PTSD. A number of implications are explored for the management of pregnancy and labor.

Methods and consequences of changes in use of episiotomy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the use of feedback by graphical profiles of rates of episiotomy and the impact on clinical practice and perineal state after spontaneous vaginal deliveries assisted by midwives with different attitudes towards episiotomy. DESIGN: Observation period in labour ward followed by feedback to midwives about their own and other midwives' use of episiotomies. The periods before and after the intervention were compared. SUBJECTS: All women (n = 3919) delivering during the two periods who had been assisted by one of 30 midwives; each midwife supervised at least 20 deliveries during each period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overall rates of episiotomies and indications, incidence of intact perineums, perineal lacerations, and tears of anal sphincter. RESULTS: The overall rate of episiotomy during the observation period was 37.1% (615). During the second period the rate was 6.6% lower (95% confidence interval 3.6% to 9.6%), corresponding to a relative decrease of 17.8% (10.1% to 24.7%). Higher rates of episiotomy during the observation period were associated with larger reductions in the second period. The decrease could be explained by less use of episiotomy in deliveries with rigid perineum or impending perineal tear. Compared with the observation period, in the second period 3.2% more women (0.3% to 6.3%) had an intact perineum after delivery and 3.4% (0.4% to 6.2%) experienced perineal tears. The overall incidence of tears of the anal sphincter remained unchanged. Women had a slightly reduced incidence of tears of the anal sphincter, however, if they were delivered by midwives who reduced a medium or high initial rate of episiotomy and a tendency towards an increased incidence of tears if they were assisted by midwives who reduced low initial rates (around 20%) of episiotomy. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in the use of episiotomy induced by awareness of clinical practice among midwives seem to increase the incidence of parturients with intact perineum without a concomitant rise in tears of the anal sphincter. To avoid the increase of such tears these changes should probably be restricted to midwives with rates of episiotomies above 30%.