Pregnant women in England at ‘growing risk’ of serious injury in childbirth

Pregnant women in England are at growing risk of suffering a serious injury while giving birth, NHS figures reveal.

The number of mothers sustaining a third- or fourth-degree perineal tear while delivering their baby has risen from 25 in 1,000 in June 2020 to 29 in 1,000 in June this year – a 16% increase.

Such injuries can have a “life-changing” impact on women’s physical and mental health, cause post-traumatic stress disorder and leave them afraid to have another child.

Childbirth experts linked the rise in the most serious forms of tear to poor NHS care, understaffing in NHS maternity units and mothers getting older and larger.

Women are also being put in danger because hospitals do not always properly establish the risk of suffering a tear using an assessment method recommended by obstetricians, midwives and MPs.

“Behind these figures are heartbreaking stories of women suffering unimaginable trauma at a moment that should be full of joy,” said Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, who obtained the NHS England figures from the House of Commons library.

“The Conservatives’ neglect of maternity services was unforgivable, putting mothers and babies under threat. But Labour risks kicking action on this problem into the long grass.”

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Source: The Guardian, 17 October 2025