Introduction. In the history of obstetrics lots of methods and ways to relieve labor pain, to shorten the labor duration and to reduce the number of perinatal complications. In this struggle with the nature of act of birth the problem of most optimal passage of a fetus through the soft tissues of the birth canal found significant place. Episiotomy, perineum protection and the effects of perineal injuries were, are and will be in the scope of interest to persons who care of a woman in labor. Aim of the study. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of selected factors on the performance of episiotomy and the occurring of intrapartum injuries of the birth canal and pelvic floor structures. Material and methods. The study was conducted on a group of 175 randomly selected women in childbirth hospitalized at the Department of Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology of PUM in Police, using a diagnostic survey and medical records analysis. Results. As many as 71.43% primiparas had perineum incised. In 46.43% multiparas, perineum injury occurred during childbirth, of which more than a half (51.35%) women had episiotomy or perineal trauma in the previous labor. The respondents who were swimming during pregnancy (68.97%) had episiotomy less frequently than those who did not swim (31.03%). The duration of the second stage was 41 minutes in women with episiotomy and 23 minutes without episiotomy. Conclusions. 1. Trauma or the need for episiotomy often occurred in older women who gave birth for the first time or perineal trauma occurred during the previous labors. 2. The longer the duration of the second stage of labor, the more increased the risk of episiotomy. 3. Reduced perineal traumatism was affected by swimming during pregnancy. 4. Parturition induced or intensified by oxytocin was not much burdened with increased traumas of soft tissues of the birth canal.

Key words: episiotomy, perineal trauma.