Effect of Regular Perineal Massage during Last Month of Pregnancy on Perineal Outcomes

Antenatal perineal massage has been proposed as one method of decreasing the incidence of
perineal trauma. It contributes to the softening of the tissues and relaxation of the pelvic floor
muscles also decrease resistance to pressure during delivery. Most women are keen to give
birth without perineal tears, cuts and stitches, as those often cause pain and discomfort
afterwards, and can impact negatively on sexual functioning. The aim of this study was to
evaluate the effect of regular perineal massage during last month of pregnancy on perineal
outcomes. The research design used for the study was the quasi experimental design. A total
of sixty pregnant women (massage and control groups each group consisted of 30 women)
was recruited randomly for this study from the ante natal clinic and labor ward at El- Minia
General Hospital. Tools used for data collection consisted of interviewing sheet, Intrapartum
assessment sheet, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and follow up sheet. The Results of the
study revealed that two thirds of massage group had intact perineum as compared to around
one third in the control group. Also the first degree tears was less among the massage group
(10.0%) compared to (23.3 %) in the control group, the third and fourth degree tear were
observed in only one woman in the control group. The study concluded that perineal massage
was effective in reducing perineal trauma, better labor progress and perineal outcomes. On the
light of the study findings it is recommended that explanation about perineal massage should
be a routine part of childbirth preparation, which is usually offered by nurses. Emphasize on
the importance of antenatal follow up for women’s education about perineal massage and
specific recommendation for future research would be to replicate this study in other settings
with different patient population is needed to increase the ability to generalize the findings.