NHS figures show number of mothers sustaining third- or fourth-degree perineal tear has increased by 16% since 2020
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.
