Prognosis of women with pelvic pain during pregnancy: a long-term follow-up study

Abstract

Study design: A follow-up study of women with pelvic pain during pregnancy.

Objectives: To evaluate prognostic factors for pelvic pain.

Methods: Out of a cohort of 870 pelvic pain patients, 598 women, who delivered less than 42 months prior to the follow-up measurement, were selected for follow-up.

Results: Data of 430 women were available for analysis with a mean follow-up duration of 18 months postpartum. Forty-three women still experienced moderate or severe pain and were seriously hindered in more than one activity. At intake symptomatic women experienced a higher overall severity of complaints, more walking deficiencies, and mentioned prepregnancy back pain more often and reported labor lasting longer than 18 h 2.5 times more often than asymptomatic women. Explained variance of these factors is small.

Conclusions: Mean 18 months postpartum a small group had moderate or severe pain. Prepregnancy back pain, severity of complaints, and number of walking deficiencies at primary referral as well as duration of labor showed a significant relation with symptoms.