Association between severities of Striae Gravidarum (SG) and Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries (OASIS)
Ofra Halperin
Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel, Israel
: J Womens Health, Issues Care
Abstract
Objectives: To examine the association between the severities of Striae Gravidarum (SG) and Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries (OASIS) and to measure the symptoms regarding urinary incontinence, fecal/flatus incontinence, and dyspareunia, at 6 and 12 months postpartum. Materials & Methods: This cohort study was conducted at four university teaching medical centers. Eighty women with OASIS were interviewed and assessed for SG. OASIS was divided into 4 groups: 3A, 3B, 3C and 4. Inclusion criteria were: OASIS diagnosis, non-instrumental vaginal childbirth, birth between 37-42 gestational weeks, singleton newborn, and neonatal birth weight of <4500kg and vertex position. Severity scoring of SG severity scoring, using Atwal’s Numerical Scoring System, observed 4 body sites: abdomen, breasts, hips, and buttocks. Total severity score (TSS) for all sites range between 0-24 and categorized: 0-3: no SG (NSG) and 4 and over: SG. The Pelvic Floor Symptom Bother Questionnaire (PFBQ), a validated, structured questionnaire, was used for the 6 and 12-month follow-up assessments, with nine items regarding pelvic floor dysfunction (urinary and bowel impairment uterine prolapse and sexual function). Results: There was no association between SG severity and OASIS (3A, 3B, 3C+4th) x2 (6)=8.4014; P=0.2. As there were only 10 women with OASIS of 3C and 4, we re-analyzed the association between SG severity and OASIS severity of 3A and 3B. There was a significant association between SG severity and OASIS severity (3A, 3B) x2 (3)=9.306; P=0.025. Three symptoms had a significant reduction in the bother degree between 6 and 12 months: urinary incontinence (p=0.017), flatus incontinence (p=0.031) and sexuality (p=0.016). Conclusions: The innovation of this research is the association between SG severity and OASIS severity (3A, 3B), added information regarding OASIS risk factors.
Biography
Ofra Halperin has completed her PhD from Anglia Ruskin University in UK and Postdoctoral studies from Ben-Gurion University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. She is a Senior Lecturer at Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel in Israel. She has published a book and more than 12 papers in reputed journals and serves as the Chairman of the Research Committee of the Israeli Midwives Association for the last ten years. She is a Midwife and an expert on Women's Health. Her studies have contributed for example, to building a national course for midwives that provided tools to cope with extreme conditions. She is now carrying out a study examining the involvement of hormones (cortisol and sex hormones) in gender differences in cognitive functions as a function of age. Her research interests meet the areas of the subjects she teaches.
