Can fewer episiotomies reduce birth injuries?
NCT ID NCT07796685
First seen Sep 01, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial compares two approaches to episiotomy, a surgical cut made during childbirth, in first-time mothers giving birth at full term. One group receives the cut routinely, while the other receives it only when medically necessary. Researchers will measure how often each group experiences perineal tears and postpartum hemorrhage, heavy bleeding after delivery. The goal is to determine which approach leads to fewer complications.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Episiotomy, a surgical cut made during childbirth to widen the vaginal opening, performed either routinely or only when medically needed.
- What this could lead to
- If restrictive episiotomy proves better, it could reduce perineal tears and heavy bleeding after vaginal birth, guiding safer childbirth practices for first-time mothers.
- What could go wrong
- This is a single-center trial, and results may not apply to all hospitals or populations. The procedure itself carries risks like pain, infection, or scarring, and the outcome depends on the skill of the birth attendant.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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466 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2025
- Finished
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Oct 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 40 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Primigravida * Aged18 - 40 years * Gestational age of ≥ 37 weeks * Admitted to the labor room (either spontaneous or induced labor) for episiotomy Exclusion Criteria: * Abnormal and cephalic presentations with occipitoposterior position * Instrumental delivery (vacuum or forceps) * Pre - eclampsia / Eclampsia * Gestational diabetes mellitus * Fetal abnormality * Intrauterine growth restriction * History of pelvic surgery or neuromuscular diseases * Twin pregnancies * Fetal macrosomia
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Nishtar Hospital/Medical University
Multan, Punjab Province, 66000, Pakistan
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