Urinary incontinence in pregnancy and the puerperium: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Pregnancy and childbirth are commonly thought to be associated with the development of urinary incontinence and lower urinary tract symptoms. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship, if any, between pregnancy and the development of lower urinary tract symptoms.Study Design: A prospective study of lower urinary tract symptoms was carried out in a cohort of pregnant women who answered a series of symptom questionnaires and kept a 24-hour bladder chart on which frequency of urination and volumes voided were recorded throughout pregnancy and for 8 weeks after birth. RESULTS: A total of 123 women participated in the study. Mean daily urine output (P =.01) and the mean number of voids per day (P =.01) increased with gestational age and declined after delivery. Episodes of urinary incontinence peaked in the third trimester and improved after birth (P =.001). White women had higher mean voided volumes and fewer voiding episodes than did black women. Ingestion of caffeine was associated with smaller voided volumes and greater frequency of urination. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy is associated with an increase in urinary incontinence. This phenomenon decreases in the puerperium. Pregnancy and childbirth trauma are important factors in the development of urinary incontinence among women. These findings warrant further investigation.     

Urinary and anal incontinence after vacuum delivery

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate urinary and fecal incontinence symptoms, and occult anal sphincter defects in women after vacuum and spontaneous vaginal delivery. STUDY DESIGN: In a case-control study, 50 primiparous women delivered by vacuum extraction were compared to 50 women delivered spontaneously. Urinary and anal incontinence symptoms, pelvic floor muscle strength and sphincter defects on endoanal ultrasound were evaluated 6-24 weeks postpartum. RESULTS: New anal incontinence symptoms after childbirth were found in 30% of the vacuum group compared to 34% of the controls, new urinary incontinence symptoms in 28 and 42%, respectively (not significant). After excluding Grade III perineal tear, sonographic sphincter defects were found in 11 (27.5%) after vacuum delivery compared to 4 (10%) after spontaneous delivery (P<0.05, chi(2)-test). CONCLUSION: Anal and urinary incontinence symptoms are frequent after vaginal delivery. Vacuum delivery causes more sonographic sphincter defects but appears to cause no more harm to pelvic floor function than spontaneous vaginal delivery.     

Urinary and anal incontinence in African American teenaged gravidas during pregnancy and the puerperium

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of urinary and anal incontinence during pregnancy and immediately postpartum in a convenience sample of African American teenaged women in an urban setting and to assess for an association between this incontinence and obstetrical risk factors. METHODS: 74 African American adolescents, ages 14-19, participated in the study. During third trimester prenatal visits and at 6 weeks postpartum, participants completed the Wexner Continence Grading Scale and Urogenital Distress Inventory Short Form (UDI-6). Chart abstraction was conducted for other relevant history. RESULTS: Seventy-eight percent (58/74) of the adolescents were followed for the duration of the study; 22% were lost to follow-up. Incontinence was defined by a positive response on either questionnaire, irrespective of severity. In the third trimester, 44% of patients complained of urinary urge incontinence and 43% of stress incontinence; 12% complained of fecal and 41% of flatal incontinence. At six weeks postpartum, only 9% complained of urge incontinence and 5% of stress symptoms. Similarly, fecal incontinence decreased to 4% and flatal incontinence to 9%. Postpartum, the rate of flatal incontinence in the women who underwent instrumental deliveries was significantly increased when compared to those who had a spontaneous vaginal delivery or cesarean section (OR 12, P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Urinary and anal incontinence is present in this convenience sample of pregnant African American teenagers and should be addressed during pregnancy and the puerperium. Instrumental delivery significantly increased the risk of flatal incontinence postpartum in this population.     

Stress incontinence during pregnancy and in puerperium

A retrospective follow-up investigation dealing with the frequency of stress incontinence was carried out among maternities at the Women's Clinic in Lund over a period of 15 months. Of 1400 newly-delivered women whose interviews were solicited, 1411 responded. Twenty-two percent indicated symptoms of stress incontinence. These were examined gynecologically, including Bonney's test. The material may be divided into four groups according to the onset and type of stress incontinence:--Onset of stress incontinence prior to pregnancy in connection with puberty: 8.5% of the total number of stress incontinents (2% of th entire material). -- Permanent stress incontinence with onset during pregnancy; 23% of all stress incontinents (5% of the entire material). --Temporary, mild, "physiological" stress incontinence, manifest only during the second part of the pregnancy and disappearing approximately 3 months after delivery. This type of incontinence represents 50% of all stress incontinence (11% of the entire material). --Stress incontinence arising in conjunction with or following parturition; 19% of all cases of stress incontinence (4% of the entire material). Of the patients in this group 8% were temporarily incontinent. Eleven percent (2.3% of the entire material), represents women suffering from constant incontinence which first appeared in connection with childbirth. It is more often the case that stress incontinence begins during the first pregnancy rather than during subsequent pregnancies (statistical significance P less than or equal to 0.05). The results indicate that the pregnancy itself and hereditary factors predispose more readily than the parturition trauma to the occurrence of stress incontinence.     

Obstetric practice and faecal incontinence three months after delivery

Objective To determine whether obstetric and maternal factors relate to faecal incontinence at three months postpartum.
Setting Maternity units in Aberdeen (Scotland), Birmingham (England) and Dunedin (New Zealand).
Population All women who delivered during one year in the three maternity units.
Methods Postal questionnaire at three months postpartum, to obtain information on faecal incontinence, linked to obstetric casenote data.
Main outcome measures Prevalence of faecal incontinence.
Results 7879 questionnaires were returned, a 71.7% response rate. The prevalence of faecal incontinence was 9.6%, with 4.2% reporting this more often than rarely. Logistic regression, confined to primiparae, showed that forceps delivery was a predictor of an increased risk of symptoms (OR=1.94, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.89) while vacuum extraction was not associated. Caesarean section was marginally associated with a reduced risk (OR=0.58, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.97). Older maternal age, Indian sub-continent ethnic origin and body mass index 'not known' also showed significant associations. No associations were found for induced labour, duration of second stage labour, episiotomy, laceration or birthweight.
Conclusions Women delivered by forceps had almost twice the risk of developing faecal incontinence, whereas vacuum extraction was not associated with faecal incontinence at three months postpartum. Caesarean section appears to offer some protection.     

Stress urinary incontinence six months after first vaginal delivery

Objective

To determine the prevalence, severity and impact on quality of life of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) six months after the first vaginal delivery, as well as to investigate the risk factors associated with it.

Study design

We designed a prospective study that included 396 women who had their first vaginal delivery in the Hospital Donostia. Diagnosis and identification of the type of urinary incontinence were carried out considering the 2002 ICS definitions. Women were interviewed and examined twice, at term and six months after delivery. The severity of the symptoms was evaluated with the Incontinence Severity Index (ISI) and the impact on quality of life was evaluated with the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence-Short Form. The statistical analysis included comparison of means (Student's t-test or analysis of variance) and proportions (Chi square and Fisher's exact tests). Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed using variables that were close to statistical significance.

Results

15.1% of the women reported SUI six months after their first vaginal delivery. The ISI was slight or moderate in the majority of the cases and the impact on quality of life was low. The presence of SUI in pregnant women at term was the only independent risk factor associated with SUI after delivery (OR: 3.71; 95% IC: 1.95–7.06). The type of vaginal delivery did not influence in SUI six months after the birth, not even in women who were continent during pregnancy.

Conclusions

Slight or moderate SUI was common after the first vaginal delivery and the impact on quality of life was low. Urinary incontinence during pregnancy was the only risk factor independently associated with the presence of SUI six months after the first vaginal delivery.     

Urinary incontinence during pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: To investigate incidence and prevalence of urinary incontinence during pregnancy and associated risk factors. METHODS: The data collection was conducted as part of the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. We present questionnaire data about urinary incontinence obtained from 43,279 women (response rate 45%) by week 30. We report data on any incontinence, in addition to type, frequency, and amount of incontinence. Potential risk factors were investigated by logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The prevalence of incontinence increased from 26% before pregnancy to 58% in week 30. The corresponding figures for nulliparous women were 15% and 48%, and for parous women 35% and 67%. The cumulative incidence was 46%. Stress urinary incontinence was the most common type of incontinence in week 30 of pregnancy, experienced by 31% of nulliparous and 42% of parous women. The majority of pregnant women had leakage less than once per week and droplets only, both before and during pregnancy. Parity was a strong and significant risk factor for incontinence in adjusted analyses both before pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.4-2.7 for primiparous and OR 3.3, 95% CI 3.1-3.5 for multiparous women) and during pregnancy (ORs 2.0, 95% CI 1.9-2.1 and 2.1, 95% CI 2.0-2.2, respectively). Age and body mass index were weaker, but still statistically significant, risk factors. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of urinary incontinence increases substantially during pregnancy. Incontinence both before and during pregnancy seems to be associated with parity, age, and body mass index. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.     

Female urinary incontinence during pregnancy and after delivery: Clinical impact and contributing factors

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition affecting adult women of all ages and it could have a negative influence on quality of life. The etiology of UI is multifactorial, but some of the most important risk factors are obesity and ageing, as well as adverse obstetric events. Pregnancy and delivery per se have been implicated in the etiology of UI. Although several studies have demonstrated a direct association between UI and vaginal delivery in short, medium and long-term, the role of childbirth on the risk of UI remains controversial. The mechanical strain during delivery may induce injuries to the muscle, connective and neural structures. Vaginal birth can be associated with relaxation or disruption of fascial and ligamentous supports of pelvic organs. Parity, instrumental delivery, prolonged labor and increased birth weights have always been considered risk factors for pelvic floor injury. Also genetic factors have been recently raised up but still there are not appropriate guidelines or measures to reduce significantly the incidence of UI. The role of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) in the prevention and treatment of UI is still unclear. However, PFMT seems to be useful when supervised training is conducted and it could be incorporated as a routine part of women’s exercise programmes during pregnancy and after childbirth.     

Clotting factor VII during pregnancy, delivery and puerperium

During pregnancy the activity of coagulation factor VII in plasma increases up to 248% (SEM 16) (n = 18) at 40 weeks even when all precautions to avoid cold activation are taken. This increase is at all times during pregnancy, delivery and puerperium entirely due to the presence in vivo of what is most likely a phospholipid-factor VII complex. This complex is sensitive to phospholipase C, so that treatment with the enzyme reduces the activity of pregnant plasma down to that of non-pregnant controls. When present in the complex factor VII has a higher specific activity and an altered conformation with a more accessible active site as demonstrated by increased susceptibility to inactivation by diisopropylfluorophosphate. Factors II and X are increased to 136% (SEM 4) and 171% (SEM 6) (n = 18) without being sensitive to phospholipase C. The increase during pregnancy and the decrease after delivery of the phospholipase-sensitive factor VII activity have been followed.     

Clotting factor VII during pregnancy, delivery and puerperium

Summary. During pregnancy the activity of coagulation factor VII in plasma increases up to 248% (SEM 16) ( n =18) at 40 weeks even when all precautions to avoid cold activation are taken. This increase is at all times during pregnancy, delivery and puerperium entirely due to the presence in vivo of what is most likely a phospholipid-factor VII complex. This complex is sensitive to phospholipase C, so that treatment with the enzyme reduces the activity of pregnant plasma down to that of non-pregnant controls. When present in the complex factor VII has a higher specific activity and an altered conformation with a more accessible active site as demonstrated by increased susceptibility to inactivation by diisopropylfluorophosphate. Factors II and X are increased to 136% (SEM 4) and 171% (SEM 6) ( n =18) without being sensitive to phospholipase C. The increase during pregnancy and the decrease after delivery of the phospholipase-sensitive factor VII activity have been followed.     

Perineal modification in pregnancy and puerperium, risk of urinary incontinence]

Pregnancy and delivery are important etiopathological factors in the alteration of pelvic equilibrium; in particular and the first delivery is the decisive factor in terms of perineal sequelae affecting pelvic equilibrium and urinary continence. Epidemiological studies have identified a number of pathogenic risk factors related to pregnancy (abnormal increase in maternal weight, diabetes in pregnancy and macrosoma) and the newborn (cranial circumference, newborn weight). Mechanical stress caused by the passage of the fetus may lead to the overstretching of the pelvic floor and the failure to recognise muscular damage even in the absence of macroscopic lesions. In the immediate postpartum or after a number of years these may damage the function of the musculo-aponeurotic structures of the perineum and foster the onset of alterations to pelvic equilibrium and urinary incontinence. In this study the authors have evaluated the modifications to the perineum and continence during pregnancy and puerperium. METHODS: Clinical data were analysed for 40 puerperae all of whom underwent a through perineal examination to assess the function of perineal muscles, both on discharge and 6 months after delivery. RESULTS: The authors tried to identify the main risk factors which predisposed the onset of changes to pelvic equilibrium and urinary continence. On the basis of the contemporary outcome of the Q-TIP test and TP, all women were divided into 4 groups: Group A (TP < 3 and positive Q-TIP test) (22.5%). CONCLUSIONS: In the light of these results, the authors affirm that during gestation it is important to concentrate preventive action on these risk factors.