Comparing Transperineal Ultrasonography and Vaginal Examination for Discomfort in Labor Follow-up

Abstract

ransperineal ultrasonography (TU) is a method currently used in the follow-up of labor. The parameters such as the position of the fetal head, its descent, its distance to the perineum, the presence and size of caput succedaneum (CS), the grade of moulding and dilatation of cervix can be evaluated intrapartum and objectively. 1-3 As in all areas of medicine, the comfort of the pregnant in the birth process, drug-free methods, and maternal friendly hospital philosophy are the main concerns. The objective is to reduce labor pain by avoiding the non-evidence based practices that increase the pain. We wonder whether the vaginal examination (VE) performed during this natural birth process provides benefits to the pregnant women or disturbs the natural birth process by discomforting women and causing negative emotional effects. Visual analogue scale (VAS), randomized controlled trials, and questionnaire have been used in recent years to find answers to these questions. 4-6 In this study, we aimed to compare the degree of discomfort that caused by intrapartum VE and TU in pregnant women. MATERIAL AND METHODS After the approval of the Munzur University Human Research Ethics Committee, pregnant women who were admitted to the delivery unit of Tunceli