APM reduces the incidence of episiotomy and increases the incidence of women with an intact perineum after vaginal delivery. It also reduces the risk of flatus incontinence after childbirth without increased maternal or neonatal complications. Women should therefore be counseled on the likely benefits of APM and the information provided during antenatal care. Obstetricians should consider the technique as routine prenatal care for nulliparous women so as to reduce the incidence of perineal trauma during vaginal birth.

Membrane stripping reduces the incidence of post-term pregnancy and need for formal induction of labor in post-date pregnant women, without increased maternal or neonatal complications.

BackgroundPrenatal gender disclosure is a nonmedical fetal ultrasonography view, which is considered ethically unjustified but has continued to grow in demand due to pregnant women’s requests.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the proportion of primigravidae who want prenatal gender disclosure and the reasons for it.MethodsThis was a descriptive cross-sectional study of randomly selected primigravidae seen at Enugu Scan Centre. The women were randomly selected using a table of random numbers.ResultsNinety percent (225/250) of 250 primigravidae who fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in this study wanted to know the gender of their unborn baby, while 10% (25/250) declined gender disclosure. Furthermore, 62% (155/250) of primigravidae had preference for male children. There was statistically significant desire for male gender (P=0.0001). Statistically significant number of primigravidae who wanted gender disclosure did so to plan for the new baby (P=0.0001), and those that declined gender disclosure “leave it to the will of GOD” (P=0.014).ConclusionNinety percent of primigravidae wanted gender disclosure because of plans for the new baby, personal curiosity, partner and in-laws’ curiosity; moreover, some women wanted to test the accuracy of the findings at delivery and 62% of primigravidae had preference for male children. In view of these results, gender disclosure could be beneficial in this environment.

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