[Effect of pelvic floor exercise during pregnancy and puerperium on prevention of urinary stress incontinence]

Abstract

Background: The main factor for the appearance of urinary stress incontinence in almost all women is pregnancy and vaginal childbirth. The pelvic floor exercises have been described for the treatment of urinary stress incontinence.

Objective: To determine with a randomized controlled trial if the pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy and late puerperium diminish the prevalence of urinary stress incontinence at 28 and 35 gestational week and at 6 weeks after childbirth.

Material and methods: The study was made with nulliparous, pregnant women who realized pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy and after birth. 72 women were studied, 52.7% realized pelvic floor exercises and 47.2% did not.

Results: The urinary stress incontinence frequency at the 28 gestational week in the no exercises group was 17.2%, and at the 35 gestational week of 47% and at 6 weeks after childbirth was of 47%, while in the exercises group was 0, 0 and 15%, respectively. Moreover there were statistically significant differences between both groups regarding the presence of urinary stress incontinence, that is, the group that realized exercises presented less incontinence at the 28 and 35 gestational weeks and at 6 weeks after childbirth.

Conclusions: The results of this study concluded that the pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy and after childbirth prevent the urinary stress incontinence at this time.