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. 2009 Apr;116(5):700-7.
doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2008.02107.x. Epub 2009 Feb 10.

The effect of urinary incontinence status during pregnancy and delivery mode on incontinence postpartum. A cohort study

S L Wesnes  1 , S Hunskaar, K Bo, G Rortveit
Affiliations

The effect of urinary incontinence status during pregnancy and delivery mode on incontinence postpartum. A cohort study

S L Wesnes et al. BJOG. 2009 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: The objectives of this study were to investigate prevalence of urinary incontinence at 6 months postpartum and to study how continence status during pregnancy and mode of delivery influence urinary incontinence at 6 months postpartum in primiparous women.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: Pregnant women attending routine ultrasound examination were recruited to the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).

Population: A total of 12,679 primigravidas who were continent before pregnancy.

Methods: Data are from MoBa, conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Data are based on questionnaires answered at week 15 and 30 of pregnancy and 6 months postpartum.

Main outcome measures: Urinary incontinence 6 months postpartum is presented as proportions, odds ratios and relative risks (RRs).

Results: Urinary incontinence was reported by 31% of the women 6 months after delivery. Compared with women who were continent during pregnancy, incontinence was more prevalent 6 months after delivery among women who experienced incontinence during pregnancy (adjusted RR 2.3, 95% CI 2.2-2.4). Adjusted RR for incontinence after spontaneous vaginal delivery compared with elective caesarean section was 3.2 (95% CI 2.2-4.7) among women who were continent and 2.9 (95% CI 2.3-3.4) among women who were incontinent in pregnancy.

Conclusion: Urinary incontinence was prevalent 6 months postpartum. The association between incontinence postpartum and mode of delivery was not substantially influenced by incontinence status in pregnancy. Prediction of a group with high risk of incontinence according to mode of delivery cannot be based on continence status in pregnancy.

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