Selective episiotomy versus no episiotomy for severe perineal trauma: a systematic review with meta-analysis

The Effect of Virtual Reality Application on Pain and Anxiety During Episiotomy Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

There is a rising trend among women towards nonpharmacological approaches owing to their minimally invasive nature and limited adverse effects. Virtual reality (VR) has recently gained popularity as a new technology for reducing pain and anxiety in medical settings. Our research sought to investigate the impact of VR on pain and anxiety levels while undergoing episiotomy repair.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was carried out across PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ISI Web of Science to find relevant randomized clinical trials (RCTs) up to January 2024. These trials investigated the use of VR as a treatment during episiotomy repair compared with a control group that did not receive VR intervention. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager software to analyze the data collected. Our primary outcomes were pain scores reported during and after episiotomy repair measured by a visual analog scale. Secondary outcomes analyzed included anxiety scores during and after the procedure, as well as the duration of episiotomy repair.

RESULTS

Seven RCTs, involving 578 patients, met the inclusion criteria. VR resulted in a significant reduction in pain scores both during and after episiotomy repair (p < 0.001). Additionally, anxiety levels during and after the procedure were significantly reduced in the VR group compared with the control group. Moreover, the duration of episiotomy repair was significantly shorter in the VR group.

CONCLUSION

Using VR has proven to be an effective technique in reducing pain and anxiety during and after episiotomy repair, as well as potentially speeding up the procedure.

Cultural Adaptation, Validation and Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of an Obstetric Violence Scale in the Spanish Context

Obstetric violence refers to dehumanized or derogative treatment of women in their pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum periods and may be manifested in different ways. Currently, there is no tool validated in Spain to measure women's perception of obstetric violence. The objective of this study was to carry out the cultural adaptation and validation of an existing 14-item obstetric violence scale in the Spanish context and to evaluate its psychometric properties. The research was conducted in two phases: first, a methodological study designed to evaluate content validity, through assessments by eight experts (calculating the Aiken V coefficient) and face validity in a sample of 20 women; second, a cross-sectional study to evaluate construct validity (through confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis), divergent validity against a scale of birth satisfaction, known-groups validity and, finally, reliability. In Phase 1, Aiken V values higher than 0.71 were obtained for all items. Phase 2 was conducted on a sample of 256 women and the fit values for the unidimensional model were RMSEA: 0.070 (95% CI: 0.059-0.105) and GFI: 0.982 (95% CI: 0.823-0.990). The Rasch analysis indicated poor performance of item 2, which was removed. The Omega and Cronbach's Alpha coefficients were 0.863 and 0.860, respectively. A final 13-item version of the Obstetric Violence Scale was produced, with a total score ranging from 0 (no obstetric violence perception) to 52 (maximum obstetric violence perception). The Obstetric Violence Scale is a reliable and useful tool to measure women's perception of obstetric violence. This study was not registered.

The Effect of Pregnancy in the Hemoglobin Concentration of Pregnant Women: A Longitudinal Study

Background

The objective of this study was to estimate and identify the determinants of hemoglobin concentration before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after labor and delivery.

Methods

A prospective cohort study design was implemented. Data were collected from May 2015 to September 2018. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the participants. An interview technique was used to collect the data. Blood samples were collected before pregnancy, during each trimester, during labor and delivery, after third stage of labor, and at the 6-week postpartum period. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the profile of study participants. Generalized estimating equations were used to identify the determinants of hemoglobin concentration during each phase of pregnancy.

Results

The mean hemoglobin concentrations of primigravida and multigravida before pregnancy were 12.41 g/dl and 10.78 g/dl, respectively. The hemoglobin concentration decreases with consecutive trimester reaching the lowest level at 42 days after delivery. The hemoglobin concentrations of pregnant women were decreased by hookworm 0.24 g/dl [95% CI:0.18-0.29], multiple pregnancy 0.16 g/dl [95% CI: 0.07-0.24], episiotomy 0.05 g/dl [95% CI: 0.01-0.09], gravidity 0.15 g/dl [95% CI: 0.09-0.21], age 0.03 g/dl [95% CI: 0.03-0.04], and gestational age 0.1 g/dl [95% CI: 0.09-0.11]. The hemoglobin concentration increased by iron supplementation 1.02 g/dl [95% CI: 0.97-1.07] and birth weight 0.14 g/dl [95% CI: 0.02-0.11].

Conclusion

Pregnancy significantly decreases the hemoglobin concentration of pregnant women reaching the lowest point during labor and delivery. Recommendation. Regular anemia screening intervention should be implemented after delivery.