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• n  surgical incision of the perineum to enlarge the vagina and so facilitate delivery during childbirth

• At issue is the operation known as an episiotomy, a small incision made in the perineum just before delivery to prevent tearing.
• The procedure, called an episiotomy, may bring you immediate relief, but it often leads to a longer recovery, more pain and other postdelivery complications.
• These centers are often located near regular hospitals and boast low episiotomy and C-section rates.

News & Articles

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• EMMC can’t bring back Heather Nichols, but it can do right by her family
  A photo of Matt and Heather Nichols sits near their daughter Ruby's crib. Heather, 29, passed away on August 8, 2013 at Eastern Maine Medical Center from necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh eating bacteria, that she contracted from an episiotomy during child birth.
  Nov. 1, 2013 - Bangor Daily News

Quotes

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• Gideon Koren in Science Daily (press release)
  With nearly half of all infants in North America being delivered by caesarean section or after episiotomy, there is clearly a requirement for pain relief for mothers,says Koren. "However, our study confirms that codeine as a treatment for...
• Johns Hopkins in Medscape (registration)
  Most textbooks in obstetrics still recommend that physicians perform a generous episiotomy, yet there is no evidence that the procedure will reduce the likelihood of injury to the infant,lead author Edith D. Gurewitsch, MD, from Johns Hopkins...