What is it about?
Various methods and techniques mitigating the negative outcomes of childbirth on womens' health are constantly studied. Vaginal balloon devices definitely belong among these methods. In out trial we focused on a novel vaginal balloon device called the Aniball which had been designed for pelvic floor training in the antenatal period. We examined its effects on several measurable outcomes, such as the pelvic floor injury rate, perineal injury rate, episiotomy rate and the duration of the second stage of labour. Women who had been training with Aniball before their labour had a lower incidence of episiotomy compared to women who had not been training (a control group). In all other outcomes no statistically significant differences have been observed.
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Why is it important?
It is the world's first clinical trial focusing solely on the vaginal balloon device Aniball and its effects on womens' health in relationship to childbirth. It also gives an important scientific backgroung for understanding how various techniques and methods are (or are not) beneficial in regard to prevent the negative outcomes of vaginal delivery on womens' health. It can also be used as a useful source of information for further work in the field of pelvic floor, perineum and childbirth.
Perspectives
From my point of view it is an important work in the field of vaginal balloon devices and their effect on the pelvic floor and perineum injury prevention in relationship to the vaginal delivery. Although it did not find evidence that the Aniball device would be beneficial in most of the outcomes, it is of high importance to stress that this is connected to the "normal" population of pregnant nulliparous women. As new information about the pelvic floor dysfunctions emerge (especially the "levator ani muscle coactivation" phenomenon), it is useful to focus on such risk subgroups where vaginal balloon devices (and especially the Aniball device) might bring positive effects.
Karel Fousek
City Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Investigating antenatal pelvic floor training using a vaginal balloon device in Czech women, British Journal of Midwifery, February 2023, Mark Allen Group,
DOI: 10.12968/bjom.2023.31.2.82.
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