Assisted vaginal births: women who tear or have a surgical cut need prompt antibiotics (May 2023)

Summary

This is a plain English summary from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Many women who have an assisted vaginal birth (using forceps or a vacuum cup) develop infections. A previous study showed that a single dose of preventive antibiotics protected women; this research led to a change in UK and WHO guidelines.

However, most women in the study had an episiotomy (surgical cut), so it was unclear if antibiotics also protected those with a tear of the perineum (the area between vagina and anus).

To address this uncertainty, researchers re-analysed the ANODE study data. They found that preventive antibiotics reduced infections after an assisted vaginal birth, irrespective of whether women had a perineal tear, an episiotomy, or both.

Read the article in full and access the research via the link below.