A Postpartum Perineal Clinic in Nova Scotia: Characteristics Associated With Attendance and Its Association With Recurrent Obstetrical Anal Sphincter Tears

The Healthy Recovery after Childbirth Clinic (HRCC) in Nova Scotia provides postpartum care to patients who experience obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS). The purpose of this study was to describe characteristics associated with HRCC attendance, characteristics associated with a trial of labour in a subsequent delivery, and OASIS recurrence by HRCC attendance status. A retrospective cohort study using the Atlee Perinatal Database and clinical record review included primiparous individuals who sustained an OASIS at IWK Health in Halifax between 2013 and 2020. The χ2 and Fisher exact tests were performed to compare groups. Of the 1041 individuals included, 67% attended HRCC. Attendance increased from 58% in 2013–2015 to 77% in 2019–2020. Younger age (