Effects of female genital mutilation/ Cutting on birth – A retrospective case-control study (2018)
This study is a Retrospective research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics:
Author(s): Arnreiter,C. & Dörfler,D.
FGM/C Type(s): All
Health area of focus: None.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether women with FGC had a higher prevalence of caesarean section than women without FGC.
Study Population: Women with and without FGM
Findings: 26 (40%) caesarean sections were done on women with FGC,while 25 (38.5%) were conducted on women in the control group. There was therefore no statistically significant difference between the two groups. There was also no statistically significant difference between women with FGC and controls in terms of lacerations,birth weight,blood loss,assisted vaginal delivery,infant size,umbilical cord pH,Apgar Score at 1.5 and 10 minutes,or stillbirth. Patients with FGC had episiotomies substantially more frequently than women without FGC (p¼ .003). The prevalence of caesarean section was not significantly different between FGC patients and controls. As the caesarean section rate of 38.5% in the control group is higher than the Austrian average of 30.2% (status as of 2015) and the women were only matched for maternal age,it may be prudent for future studies to match the controls based on additional factors. Other risk factors for caesarean delivery must be ruled out. However,the results demonstrated that women with FGC had a greater incidence of episiotomy compared to the control group.
Geographical coverage
Region(s):Western Europe
Country(ies):Austria