title: Striae gravidarum as a predictor of vaginal lacerations at delivery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Abdominal stretch marks found during pregnancy may be indicative of poor skin elasticity. One who does not have stretch marks may have better skin elasticity and may be less likely to tear perineal and vaginal tissue during vaginal delivery. This study was conducted to determine whether striae gravidarum could predict lacerations and their severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective observational study included 168 women having vaginal delivery of infants who weighed more than 2,000 g. The absence or presence and degree of lacerations involving the perineum, vagina, labia, and periurethral regions were studied with a step-wise multivariate logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Episiotomy was found to prevent spontaneous lacerations. Abdominal stretch marks were found to be statistically significant predictors of lacerations when controlling for episiotomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with striae gravidarum are at higher risk for lacerations at the time of vaginal delivery than patients who do not have abdominal stretch marks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ochsner Clinic and Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation, New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wahman
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Finan
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Emerson
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001724:Birth Weight; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004548:Elasticity; D004841:Episiotomy; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007396:Internship and Residency; D016015:Logistic Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010502:Perineum / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D014623:Vaginal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology