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Title: Incontinence Rates After Pregnancy Significant, Regardless of Delivery Method: Presented at AAFP
URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/22CE9A.htm
Doctor's Guide
September 22, 2008

By Martha Kerr, BSN

SAN DIEGO -- September 22, 2008 -- Survey results show that more than two-thirds of women experience incontinence after pregnancy, according to research presented here at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) 2008 Scientific Assembly.

Incontinence rates are only slightly higher among women who give birth vaginally than by Caesarean section, reported fourth year medical student Karen S. Myren and her mentor, Jim Boulger, PhD, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota.

Myren and colleagues analysed responses to 274 surveys; of these, 251 (91.6%) respondents had been pregnant at least once.

The prevalence of incontinence was only slightly higher with vaginal deliveries than among C-section deliveries (43.1% vs 37.5%, respectively (P < .025). There was no incontinence reported by nulliparous women.

"Even with C-sections, there was still some trauma to the pelvic muscles and tissues, increasing risk of incontinence," Myren pointed out.

"There was no difference between mean birth weights by delivery method, nor was there a significant difference in mean birth weight between incontinent and continent women across delivery methods," she added.

The severity of incontinence was not statistically different between vaginal and C-section births. "This was an unexpected finding," she said.

"Even though the rates are somewhat higher with vaginal birth, there is still a significant amount of incontinence reported with C-section births," she said.

"This issue relates directly to the discussion about whether to choose to deliver by C-section," Myren said.

"The perception is that there isn't much risk of incontinence after a C-section birth. This could lead women to favour that option," Myren commented. "We found that that isn't true."

"While the study involved a relatively small sample of respondents, we believe that it was a good representation of our target population," Myren said. "For this sample, pregnancy resulted in an increased rate of incontinence which is consistent with past research."

"We now need to ask whether the problem is being addressed. Are women being asked about incontinence and are they telling their physicians about it? Are women being offered treatment options, including noninvasive techniques and the newer minimally invasive surgical options?"


[Presentation title: Prevalence of Surgery Due to Incontinence Following Vaginal and Cesarean Section Delivery.]

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