An obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI) occurs during the final stage of a vaginal delivery. This tissue laceration, even if adequately sutured, poses a substantial threat to bowel continence in women.1,2 In a recent register-based study we showed that following an OASI at the first birth, the risk of a repeat injury almost tripled and that the long-term prevalence of fecal incontinence (FI) doubled in women with 1 OASI and tripled in those with 2 consecutive OASIs, in comparison with nulliparous women not affected by childbirth.3 Most OASIs occur seemingly by chance in the absence of known risk markers, and there is still no prediction model that is of use to avoid OASI in the clinical setting.4 Therefore, these injuries are often excused as inevitable and impossible to foresee. The aim of this study is to develop and validate prediction models for the risk of an OASI in high- and low-risk scenarios.
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Obstetric anal sphincter injury in term pregnancy ≥ 37+0 and a singleton pregnancy
Timeframe: 2009-2018