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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

Enema of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Patients with Severe Acute Pancreatitis

Enema of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Patients with Severe Acute Pancreatitis

Published on: January 27, 2023

Enemas during labour.

Ludovic Reveiz¹, Hernando G Gaitán, Luis Gabriel Cuervo

¹Research Promotion and Development Team, Health Systems Based on Primary Health Care (HSS), Pan American Health Organization,Washington DC, USA. mmreveiz@hotmail.com

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

|July 25, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Routine enemas during labour do not improve maternal or neonatal outcomes. Evidence suggests enemas do not reduce infection rates or enhance satisfaction, advising against their regular use in childbirth.

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Area of Science:

Obstetrics and Gynecology
Evidence-Based Medicine
Clinical Trials

Background:

Enema use during labor is often provider-dependent but can cause maternal discomfort.
Limited evidence exists on the benefits and risks of intrapartum enemas.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the impact of enemas during the first stage of labor on maternal and neonatal health outcomes.

Main Methods:

Systematic review and meta-analysis of four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 1917 women.
Searched multiple databases including Cochrane, PubMed, and LILACS up to May 2013.
Assessed risk of bias and synthesized data on infection rates, perineal tears, and labor duration.

Main Results:

No significant differences were found in puerperal infection rates (2 RCTs; 594 women).
Neonatal umbilical infection rates (2 RCTs; 592 women) and perineal tear severity showed no significant differences.
Meta-analysis indicated no significant effect on the mean duration of labor.

Conclusions:

Current evidence from four RCTs does not support a significant benefit of enemas for infection rates or maternal satisfaction.
Routine administration of enemas during labor is not recommended and should be discouraged.
Further research may be needed to fully understand any potential subtle effects or specific indications.