Abstract Perineal trauma is the damage that occur to the female genitals during labour, which can occur spontaneously or iatrogenically. Perineal trauma results discomforts and complications to a larger extent after childbirth affecting their daily actitivity. The extent of perineal tear can be reduced with simple assessment of striae gravidarum. Striae, are stretch marks which can be seen during pregnancy. These striae uausally occurs due to poor skin elasticity, therefore calculating striae gravidarum during III trimester can reduce the risk of perineal injury and enhancing the midwifes to go for intervention such as episiotomy, the aim of episiotomy is to increase the diameter of the vaginal outlet to facilitate the passage of the fetal head and, ideally, prevent a vaginal tear. Some studies shows that, through clinical assessment in late pregnancy of striae gravidarum can predict the extent of perineal tear helping to take appropriate measures during labour. Thus, this review aimed to focus on striae gravidarum as an effective tool indicating the breadth of perineal tear.
Keywords: Perineal Tear; Striae Gravidarum.