A Comparison of Cold and Warm Sitz Baths for Relief of Postpartum Perineal Pain

The effect of cold sitz baths for relieving perineal pain in the postpartum period after an episiotomy was evaluated. Forty patients took both cold and warm sitz baths with random assignment of the initial bath. Patients rated the degree of perineal pain before and after each sitz bath and at half-hour and one-hour intervals after each bath. A pain scale using 0-5, 0 representing no pain and 5 representing extreme pain, was used. Analysis of pain scale scores using a two-way analysis of variance with replications showed that cold sitz baths were significantly more effective in relieving perineal pain. The greatest amount of pain relief was experienced immediately after the cold sitz baths.