THE RISING TOLL

90% THE proportion of women who experience some form of tear during childbirth, according to Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) figures. x3Increase

in severe tears (third and fourth-degree, see box, below left) in the ten years leading up to 2012. 10% Proportion of mothers giving birth naturally who suffer a tear in the perineal muscle and sphincter, according to the charity MASIC Foundation, leaving them with some degree of bowel incontinence. The risk may be even higher among firsttime mothers. x6.7 Increased risk of a third or fourthdegree tear from a forceps delivery. With ventouse, the risk increases 2.7 times (RCOG figures). 87% Proportion of third and fourth- degree tears midwives failed to spot, according to a 2006 study at Croydon University Hospital in South London. 755,000 Number of live births in the UK last year.