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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Denis Campbell Health policy editor

Pregnant women in England at ‘growing risk’ of serious injury in childbirth

Pregnant woman touching her belly
Childbirth experts linked the rise in the most serious forms of tears to poor NHS care and understaffing in maternity units. Photograph: Oscar Wong/Getty

Pregnant women in England are at growing risk of suffering a serious injury while giving birth, NHS figures reveal.

The number of mothers sustaining a third- or fourth-degree perineal tear while delivering their baby has risen from 25 in 1,000 in June 2020 to 29 in 1,000 in June this year – a 16% increase.

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