Epidural analgesia and severe perineal laceration in a community-based obstetric practice.

Background: This study assessed whether epidural analgesia was an independent risk factor for severe perineal laceration.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study analyzed 2,759 patients at St. Francis Regional Medical Center who had vertex, spontaneous or induced, singleton, live, vaginal deliveries of neonates of at least 36 weeks' gestation.