Exploring women’s, birth partners’ and healthcare professionals’ views and experiences of childbirth related perineal trauma care provision in high income countries: A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis

IF 4.4 2区医学 Q1 NURSING

Women and Birth Pub Date : 2025-04-11 DOI:10.1016/j.wombi.2025.101907

Alice Blackburn , Laura Jones , Victoria Hodgetts Morton , R.Katie Morris , Derick Yates , Amy Delicate

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Childbirth related perineal trauma affects 80 % of women during vaginal birth in the UK. Childbirth related perineal trauma can create short and long term complications for women such as pain and incontinence.

Aim

The review aimed to explore women’s, their birth partners’ and health care professionals’ views and experiences of childbirth related perineal trauma care provision in high income countries.

Methods

Search terms and eligibility criteria were developed and four databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO and CINAHL) were searched in February 2024, yielding 5638 results. Studies were independently screened by two reviewers and disputes resolved by a third. Study quality was assessed using the critical appraisal skills programme, thematic synthesis analysed primary data, and confidence in findings were evaluated.

Findings

22 studies were included, containing 3473 women and 56 HCPs. No studies were identified for views of birth partners. Women reported they wanted more antenatal and postnatal information about childbirth related perineal trauma, that experiences of perineal repair were affected by health care professional behaviours, and that postnatal care was not always sufficient to meet their needs. Health care professionals highlighted a need for improved education for providing care to women after childbirth related perineal trauma.

Conclusions

Findings from the review can inform the development of care pathways to improve care and associated outcomes for women after childbirth related perineal trauma. Further research is needed to explore the views of birth partners and a wider range of health care professionals involved in caring for women after childbirth related perineal trauma.

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来源期刊

Women and Birth NURSING-OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

CiteScore

7.20

自引率

13.20%

发文量

371

审稿时长

27 days

期刊介绍： Women and Birth is the official journal of the Australian College of Midwives (ACM). It is a midwifery journal that publishes on all matters that affect women and birth, from pre-conceptual counselling, through pregnancy, birth, and the first six weeks postnatal. All papers accepted will draw from and contribute to the relevant contemporary research, policy and/or theoretical literature. We seek research papers, quality assurances papers (with ethical approval) discussion papers, clinical practice papers, case studies and original literature reviews. Our women-centred focus is inclusive of the family, fetus and newborn, both well and sick, and covers both healthy and complex pregnancies and births. The journal seeks papers that take a woman-centred focus on maternity services, epidemiology, primary health care, reproductive psycho/physiology, midwifery practice, theory, research, education, management and leadership. We also seek relevant papers on maternal mental health and neonatal well-being, natural and complementary therapies, local, national and international policy, management, politics, economics and societal and cultural issues as they affect childbearing women and their families. Topics may include, where appropriate, neonatal care, child and family health, women’s health, related to pregnancy, birth and the postpartum, including lactation. Interprofessional papers relevant to midwifery are welcome. Articles are double blind peer-reviewed, primarily by experts in the field of the submitted work.