Wound healing Benefits of Curcumin for Perineal Repair after Episiotomy: Results of an Iranian Randomized Controlled Trial

Pain and discomfort related to episiotomy have been reported to interfere with women's daily activities postpartum, such as sitting, walking and lifting the baby. To compare the effects of curcumin and Povidone-iodine solutions for episiotomy healing in primiparous women. 120 healthy primiparous women with a vaginal delivery at term were evaluated in this double-blind randomized clinical trial. Randomization was done using a table of random list numbers. Perineal healing was evaluated by research midwives blinded to random allocation at 24-48 hours and 10 days postpartum. Pain was assessed via a visual analogue scale and wound healing via the REEDA scale. Analysis was done on the intention-to-treat principle. The main outcome measure was the changes in wound healing between the two groups as measured by the REEDA Scale. Secondary outcome measures were perineal pain and wound healing 24-48 hours and 10 days after delivery. There was a greater decrease in the total scores of the REEDA in the curcumin group than in the Povidone-iodine (P < 0.001), however; there weren't significant differences between the groups on the VAS scores. The application of curcumin may assist in the episiotomy healing process and could be suitable replacement for Povidone-iodine. [Esmaeili Vardanjani SA, Sehati Shafai F, Mohebi P, Deyhimi M, Delazar A, Ghojazadeh M, Malekpour M. Wound healing Benefits of Curcumin for Perineal Repair after Episiotomy: Results of an Iranian Randomized Controlled Trial. Life Sci J 2012;9(4):5536-5541] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 821