Abstract
Self-massage on the perineum given by the pregnant woman in late gestation has been a focus of constant attention as a measure of preventing the perineal injury at delivery.
In view of the current circumstances, a randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of self-massage in primiparous women.
Among 90 women who met the conditions of this trial, 63 women participated in the study and they were assigned to an intervention group (30 women) and a contrast group (33 women). The intervention group was given an instruction of how to give self-massage. The massage was given at least four times a week until at the time of delivery (more than three weeks).
There were two primary factors to be evaluated: reduction of episiotomy rates and comparison of the degree of perineal injury. The episiotomy rates in the intervention group were reduced by 21%, which cannot be said as a statistically significant decrease. As for the comparison of the degree of perineal injury, those who continued the massage in the intervention group had slighter injury than those in the contrast group.
It was suggested that perineal massage during late gestation could not reduce episiotomy rates and make the perineal injury slighter.
The results were thought to have been affected by insufficient power of test. More examination on the effectiveness of self-massage should be conducted, securing the number of required subjects.
