Haemorrhoids - A neglected problem faced by women after birth

To investigate the prevalence and severity of haemorrhoids after birth among first-time mothers in relation to management during the second stage of labour and to describe the women's experiences with haemorrhoids.

A mixed method explanatory sequential design was used. Nulliparous women were allocated to an intervention group for whom the second-stage of labour practice followed the MIMA model (Midwives management during second stage of labour) or to a control group for whom standard-care practice was followed. Data were collected three weeks and 1.5 years after birth.

A total of 496 (82.1%) women responded to the questionnaire three weeks after birth, 120 (70%) responded to the questionnaire 1.5 years after the birth. The women in the intervention group had fewer symptoms from haemorrhoids three weeks after birth compared to the women in the control group (adj. OR 0.6 95% CI 0.4-0.9). Half of the women in the intervention and control group (50.8%) who reported problems with haemorrhoids three weeks after birth still experienced problems after 1.5 years. The majority of all women did not seek medical care due to their symptoms. The women who described that they experienced haemorrhoids as a problem after birth felt neglected by the healthcare system.

A substantial percentage of women had symptoms from haemorrhoids after birth. Many of these women felt that their problems were neglected. Women who experienced a slow birth of the baby's head and spontaneous pushing suffered less from haemorrhoids 3 weeks after birth.