Confirmed effect
What has the study reassured us about?
Aniball is safe
Aniball is safe, it does not cause dilation (expansion) of the vagina or incontinence.
Prevents perineal tears
It helps prevent perineal tears, significantly reduces the risk of episiotomy (British Journal of Midwifery, February 2023, Vol 31, No 2). There is no reason to exceed the recommended balloon size.
Prevents incontinence
Aniball should also be regularly used after the postpartum period. It helps restore the function of the pelvic floor and prevent incontinence later in life.
The study brief
This study examined the results of births in Czech first-time mothers giving birth vaginally head first and compared the differences between women exercising with Aniball and non-exercising women.
The main results
The study concluded that Aniball helps to prevent injury of the perineum by episiotomy. It also confirmed that Aniball is safe - its use does not increase the risk of damage to the pelvic floor and does not cause urogynaecology problemslater on.
There was no difference between the two groups in the incidence of pelvic floor injury (avulsion injury to levator ani muscle). It refuted the opponents' fears that Aniball violated the integrity of the pelvic floor and worsened the quality of a woman’s life after childbirth.
Other important findings
Exercise frequency
More frequent exercise does not lead to a further reduction in the number of birth injuries or degrees of tears. On the contrary, less frequent exercise (every other day) seems to be more beneficial.
Circumference of the balloon
The most frequent maximum circumference of the balloon was 25 cm - this confirms that it is not desirable to inflate the balloon further. The aim of the training is to practice the relaxation of the pelvic floor and not to reach the largest circumference of the balloon.
After childbirth
The practising women did not indicate a decrease in life quality (in terms of incontinence or sexual dysfunction) after childbirth. On the contrary, incontinence and deterioration of love life quality after childbirth were reported by more women who did not exercise: Stress incontinence (p = 0.066) and sexual dysfunction (p = 0.14).
Analysis of the reasons for excluding women from the study after childbirth additionally revealed a non-significant reduction in the number of vaginal extraction operations in women who exercised (6.8% vs. 17.3%, p = 0.0895). This interesting side finding could serve as a stimulus for further research into the potential benefits of using the balloon.