Results
During the study period, a total of 73 women were included in the study, 37 of them applied fundal pressure and 36 of them delivered spontaneously without fundal pressure. The mean age of fundal pressure group was 25.3 ± 3.4, and the mean age of the control group was 27.7 ± 4.8 (p = 0.01). The groups were similar to each other with regard to BMI, fetal weight, fetal BPD, fetal HC, and duration of the first stage of delivery. The duration of the second stage of delivery was significantly longer in the fundal pressure group compared to the controls (37.3 ± 8.6 min vs. 57.3 ± 19.2 min, respectively; p< 0.0001). Baseline and delivery characteristics of groups presented in Table 1. No statistical difference was observed between the two groups in terms of labour induction, PGE2 and oxytocin application. Elective episiotomy was applied to 32 (86.5%) of 37 women who had fundal pressure, and 15 (42.9%) of 36 women in the control group (p <0.0001). There were 5 (13.5%) women delivered with spontonaeus perineal tear in the fundal pressure group and 16 (45.7%) women in the control group (p = 0.003). In the control group, 4 patients (11.4%) delivered without episiotomy or any perineal tear (p = 0.03).
Five (13.5%) women in the fundal pressure group, 7 (20%) women in the control group had complete EAS (p = 0.4) (Table 2). Complete IAS was observed in 1 (2.7%) women in the fundal pressure group and 2 (5.7%) women in the control group (p = 0.5). Half-moon sign was observed in 1 woman in both groups (p = 0.9). The rate of other signs were similar in both groups.
Multivariate regression models revealed that none of, age, episiotomy, length of second stage of labour, fundal pressure application status and number were independent predictor of complete IAS or EAS defect.