Abstract
Faecal incontinence is one of the most distressing, and perhaps one of the most feared, instances of postnatal morbidity and is said to be reported by three to ten per cent of mothers (RCOG, 2004). A recent court case in England heard how one mother, who gave birth to her first child in 2000, tried to obtain compensation for what she believed was clinical negligence leading to long-term faecal incontinence (Starkey v Rotherham NHS Trust [2007]). The claim centred on the examination of her perineum immediately after the birth and the failure to note trauma to the external anal sphincter. While this claim concerned an obstetrician, a similar situation involving a midwife is quite feasible.
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