Enemas during labour

Enemas during labour may not improve puerperal or neonatal infection rates or maternal satisfaction.

A Cochrane review included 4 studies with a total of 1 917 women. Meta-analysis revealed no significant differences between enemas versus no enemas for infection rates in puerperal women (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.42 to 1.04; 2 studies, 594 women) or newborn children (RR 1.12, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.67; 1 study, 370 newborns) after one month of follow up. No significant differences were found in the incidence of neonatal lower or upper respiratory tract infections.No significant differences in the duration of labour were found.Two trials found no significant differences in neonatal umbilical infection (RR 3.16 95% CI 0.50 to 19.82; 2 studies, 592 newborns).

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (unclear allocation concealment) and by imprecise results (wide confidence intervals).

Ədəbiyyat

1. Reveiz L, Gaitán HG, Cuervo LG. Enemas during labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007 Oct 17;(4):CD000330 [Review content assessed as up-to-date: 4 July 2013].