Risk of Pelvic Floor Disorders Varied by Child Delivery Mode

The risk of pelvic floor disorders for women years after childbirth varied depending on mode of delivery, researchers found. Women with cesarean delivery had a lower hazard of stress urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, and pelvic organ prolapses compared with women with spontaneous vaginal deliveries, reported Joan L. Blomquist, MD, of Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Maryland, and colleagues. By contrast, women with operative vaginal delivery were associated with a higher hazard of anal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, they wrote in JAMA. Read more.

Source: MedPage Today, December 18, 2018

There Are Some Benefits to C-Sections, Researchers Say

It may seem like undergoing surgery to have a child wouldn’t have a lot of advantages, but it turns out there may be some benefits to having a cesarean section. Experts warn, however, that it doesn’t mean you should schedule the operation unless it’s needed. A study in PLOS Medicine concluded that women who have cesarean deliveries (also known as C-sections) have a lower risk of urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse. Dr. Sarah Stock, who researches preterm birth at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and her team looked at one randomized controlled trial and 79 cohort studies involving nearly 30 million women. The studies looked at long-term outcomes of women who had the surgery compared to those who delivered vaginally. Read more.

Source: Healthline, January 23, 2018

Women Who Have Not Given Birth Also Experience Urinary Incontinence, Study Finds

Women who have not given birth often end up under the radar for research on urinary incontinence. In a study of this group, however, one in five women over 45 years say they experience this type of incontinence. “This confirms that problems are found in all groups, and that women have a weakness of the pelvic floor even if they have not previously given birth,” says Maria Gyhagen, gynecologist at Södra Älvsborg Hospital in Borås and researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University. Read more.

Source: News-Medical.net, November 9, 2016

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)

Weak pelvic muscles can allow urine to leak out causing stress urinary incontinence.

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is the most common type of incontinence. The “stress” in this incontinence refers to a physical stress that’s placed on the urinary system, such as a cough, sneeze, or laugh. About 50% of women occasionally experience SUI. While women experience stress incontinence more often then men, some men do experience it as well.Continue reading→

Pregnancy and Childbirth

Pregnancy can put extra strain on the bladder and bowels.

It is common knowledge that pregnant women urinate more often. This is partly due to the extra weight on their bladder, but many do not know that women can experience urinary incontinence during their pregnancy. For some, urinary incontinence continues or worsens after delivery of the baby, but for most, symptoms will go away after giving birth or shortly after the birth. Continue reading→

The Foundation Hosts Roundtable on Pregnancy, Birthing, and Incontinence

Pregnancy and childbirth are strongly related to stress urinary incontinence.

Chicago, Ill. (March 14, 2005) — In January 2005 the Simon Foundation for Continence brought together experts from throughout the United States and Europe to discuss the topic of Pregnancy, Birthing, and Incontinence. The two-day meeting held in Chicago was chaired by Professor Christine Norton, PhD, RN (U.K.) and Dr. Toni Harris (U.S.), both members of the Foundation’s Advisory Board.Continue reading→