Comparison of Finnish and Viennese Techniques for Perineal Protection in Women During the Second Stage of Labor

April 12, 2026 updated by: Saba Rafique, Nishtar Medical University

Comparison of Finnish Versus Viennese Technique for Manual Perineal Protection in the 2nd Stage of Labor

The goal of this clinical trial is to find out which method of protecting the perineum during childbirth works better in reducing tears in first-time mothers. The study will compare two commonly used techniques-Finnish and Viennese manual perineal protection-during the second stage of labor. It will also assess whether these techniques are safe and practical to use.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  1. Does the Finnish technique reduce the number of perineal tears compared to the Viennese technique?
  2. Are there any differences in labor outcomes or complications between the two techniques?

Researchers will randomly assign 60 pregnant women (first-time mothers with full-term, single pregnancies) into two groups. One group will receive the Finnish technique, while the other group will receive the Viennese technique during the second stage of labor.

Participants will:

  • Be enrolled when they are in active labor and planning a normal vaginal delivery
  • Be randomly assigned to one of the two perineal protection techniques
  • Have their labor monitored, including the duration of different stages of labor
  • Undergo a clinical examination after delivery to check for any perineal tears

A trained obstetrician who is not aware of which technique was used will examine the mother after delivery to ensure unbiased assessment. Any tears identified will be treated according to standard hospital guidelines.

By comparing these two techniques, this study aims to identify the safer and more effective method to reduce perineal injury during childbirth, which may help improve maternal outcomes and quality of care.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

60

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Multan, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 60000
        • Nishtar Medical University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Full-term (37 - 42 weeks, assessed through LMP)
  • Singleton pregnancy (assessed on antenatal scan)
  • Primigravida
  • In active labor

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Fetal presentation other than cephalic (confirmed on USG)
  • Patients converted to cesarean delivery

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Finnish Manual Perineal Protection
Participants in this group will receive manual perineal protection using the Finnish technique during the second stage of labor.
Procedure: Finnish Manual Perineal Protection Technique
This involves applying pressure with the flexed middle, ring, and little fingers to support the perineum and control delivery of the fetal head. This would reduce perineal stretching and tearing during delivery.
Active Comparator: Viennese Manual Perineal Protection
Participants in this group will receive manual perineal protection using the Viennese technique during the second stage of labor.
Procedure: Viennese Manual Perineal Protection
This technique includes applying ventral pressure with the ulnar part of the palm while supporting the perineum and controlling fetal head extension at crowning.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Perineal Tear
Time Frame: Immediately after delivery (within the third stage of labor)
Perineal tear will be assessed by clinical examination after delivery. It is defined as any laceration involving the perineal skin, vaginal mucosa, perineal muscles, anal sphincter, or rectal mucosa. The presence or absence of a tear will be recorded.
Immediately after delivery (within the third stage of labor)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Duration of First Stage of Labor
Time Frame: During labor (from onset of active labor to full cervical dilation)
The first stage of labor is defined as the time from active labor (cervical dilation of 3-4 cm) to full cervical dilation (10 cm). Duration will be recorded in minutes.
During labor (from onset of active labor to full cervical dilation)
Duration of Second Stage of Labor
Time Frame: During labor (from full dilation to delivery)
The second stage of labor is defined as the time from full cervical dilation to delivery of the baby. Duration will be recorded in minutes.
During labor (from full dilation to delivery)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Nishtar Medical University

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Syeda A Professor, FCPS, Nishtar Medical University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

August 28, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 2, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

March 2, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 12, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 12, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 12, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • U1111-1338-9045

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Vaginal Delivery

Clinical Trials on Finnish Manual Perineal Protection Technique

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Israel

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe