Perineal tears during vaginal deliveries are common, and many heal well without problem. But five percent of women having their first vaginal birth will suffer from a third or fourth degree perineal tear. These kinds of tears in Australia can go undetected, leaving women to suffer in silence. Now there's a new standard of care, with the release of the first national Third and Fourth Degree Perineal Tears Clinical Care Standard

Obstetrician and Urogynecologist Emmanuel Karantanis and Janelle Gullan, a woman who had a third degree tear after her first birth, talk about the impact of third and fourth degree perineal tears, how they can be prevented and how to support women if they do occur.