More than a year ago we explained that the association El Parto es Nuestro started an information and awareness campaign on Kristeller's maneuver, that technique by which a professional climbs into the mother's belly in order to help the baby approach the exit and be born more quickly.
This maneuver is discouraged because there is no scientific evidence to prove that it is useful to shorten the duration of births and because it has been seen that it jeopardizes the integrity of the woman's perineum, leaving more sequels. Despite this, the maneuver has been continued and the Birth is Ours, with the Stop Kristeller campaign: a matter of gravity, just published the conclusions of the collected data. A boat soon surprises to know that most women were made without their consent, but since this is not the only thing that is extracted from the report, we will see more below.
"Stop Kristeller: question of seriousness": the report data
The Birth is Our has published the report in which they have been working for more than a year and which aims to show data related to such a criticized maneuver that comes from the mothers who have suffered it.
In United Kingdom is prohibited and WHO, due to the lack of scientific evidence, he advises against it. However, in Spain it is still used and with the intention of sensitizing the population and professionals, the association interviewed 373 women. From all the interviews they drew the following conclusions:
- 93.5% of the interviewees were not informed about Kristeller's maneuver before its completion. In what supposes a double error: to carry out a violent and active act without explaining it to the mother, being a maneuver also advised against in Spain by the Spanish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (SEGO).
- To the 96.2% of the women interviewed were practiced without consent, from which it follows that 3% were informed, but without the consent of the mother, it was also done.
- 75.3% of women believe that the maneuver was not positive, and 47.1% that did not help shorten the delivery. Obviously we talk about mothers' feelings, but their feelings are consistent with the scientific evidence: it does not help to shorten the birth and it involves risks for the mother and the baby.
- It implies a significant burden of physical violence, since in 30% of the cases pressure is exerted repeatedly, four or more times, with the arms and the entire body weight on the woman, causing pain at the time of the maneuver in 55.9% of cases.
- Although 39.1% of respondents asked to stop, in 90% of these cases they continued with the maneuver: I think no further comments are needed.
- In 70% of the cases it was necessary to perform other interventions: suction cup (22.65%), forceps (18.82%) and cesarean section (6.76%).
- 61% of the women had episiotomy: 30% of them had, in addition to this, a tear, 16% being first-degree tears, and 7% second and third-degree tears.
- 59.4% had physical sequelae: severe tears of second and third grade (40.31%); rib pain (14.8%); bruises (12.24%); rib fracture (4.59%); uterine prolapse (3.06%), and premature detachment of the placenta (2.04%).
- 31.2% of cases required further treatment.
- 26.5% of the babies had sequelae: respiratory distress (40%); clavicle fracture (17.78%); bruises (15.56%); muscle tear and brain trauma (6.7%); internal organ lesions and hypoxia (4.4%), Erb paralysis and humerus fracture (2.2%).
- He 63.5% of mothers report emotional sequelae and consider it a traumatic experience for them, for your companion and for the baby.
How to avoid the Kristeller maneuver
The maneuver is discouraged, there is no evidence that it helps anything and puts the mother and the baby at risk, as it seems to be extracted from the data. What to do then if the delivery stagnates, if it does not go ahead? Well, take a look at the woman and draw conclusions. In order for a professional to climb on a woman's belly, she must be lying down. The first mistake is here. The law of gravity, when a woman is lying down, causes the baby to fall on her back and not on her cervix, which is the direction the baby should take. When women's times are respected, when they are allowed freedom of movement, women often adopt vertical positions. That way, standing, squatting, or in the hands and knees position (on all fours, so that we understand each other), the gravity force (which is mentioned in the title of the two-way campaign) helps the baby descend through the birth canal.
