Abstract:
Background: Episiotomy is a surgical incision made during childbirth process to widen the
vaginal opening. Care of episiotomy is essential to facilitate healing and prevent from infections
among postnatal mothers ensuring their overall wellbeing. It is essential to report the current
episiotomy care practices and their associated factors to enhance maternal outcomes and
evidenced based obstetric practices in Sri Lanka.
Objective: To assess the practices and associated factors on episiotomy care among postnatal
mothers in Teaching Hospital Mahamodara
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among postnatal mothers (with
episiotomy) at Teaching Hospital Mahamodara. Postnatal mothers (n=206) were recruited using
non-probability convenience sampling method. A pre-tested, interviewer-administered
questionnaire was used to collect data. SPSS version 25.0 was used to analyze the data. The
demographic characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The Chi-square test was
applied to analyze the factors associated with episiotomy care.
Results: A considerable proportion of postnatal mothers (n=83, 40.3%) had completed education
up to GCE O/L. Majority of them (n=93, 45.1%) had a monthly income of 30 000-60 000 LKR.
More than half of the mothers in the sample (n=106, 51.5%) have experienced their first
pregnancy. Notably, 68.9% (n=142) of mothers were unemployed. A larger proportion of mothers
(n=122, 59.2%) had a moderate level of practices on episiotomy care. Majority of mothers (n=136,
66%) have cleaned episiotomy area three times a day on first day of post-delivery. Subsequently
majority of mothers (n=186, 90.3%) dried and pat after cleaning perineum. Most of them, (n=177,
85.9%) used baby soap to clean their perineum with and 41.3% mentioned they wipe from front to
back after cleaning. The practices regarding episiotomy care were significantly associated with
their monthly income (χ2 -18.87, p=0.04).
Conclusion: The findings indicate that the majority of mothers exhibit good practices concerning
episiotomy care. This highlights the significance of providing substantial postnatal support and
education on episiotomy care.
