What is it about?
Forty first time mothers, diagnosed with major vaginal damage after traumatic deliveries, disclosed enduring symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse, fecal incontinence, sexual impairment and PTSD, one to four years after birth. Women reported antenatal classes provided inadequate information on risk factors of complicated vaginal births, that involved forceps instruments and resultant postnatal damage was poorly assessed.
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Why is it important?
This paper demonstrates that enduring sequelae of vaginal birth are strongly associated with symptoms of PTSD as per DSM- 5 (APA 2013).
Perspectives
Women who have sustained vaginal injuries after complicated births, require optimal physical assessments with specialists who employ imaging technology and, evaluation of mental health outcomes to identify potential symptoms of PTSD.
Dr Elizabeth Mary Skinner
University of Sydney
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Psychological consequences of pelvic floor trauma following vaginal birth: a qualitative study from two Australian tertiary maternity units, Archives of Women s Mental Health, December 2017, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s00737-017-0802-1.
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