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The Effect of Pregnancy and Childbirth on the Lower Urinary Tract and Pelvic Floor

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Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery

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Abstract

As the perinatal mortality rate has fallen, obstetricians have begun to focus on improving perinatal maternal and fetal morbidity. The relationship between pregnancy, parturition and the pelvic floor is quintessential to the obstetrician and urogynecologist. The lower urinary tract undergoes many physiological changes during pregnancy and these may manifest themselves as urinary symptoms. Also, the pelvic floor undergoes extreme trauma during parturition and this is often cited as a cause of uterovaginal prolapse and bladder symptoms later in life. If this relationship can be established, it may be possible to manipulate parturition to minimize long-term maternal morbidity from pelvic floor damage. The evidence for this will be examined in this chapter.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, Berkshire, UK

    Mr Kevin M. Smith (Specialist Registrar)

  2. Section of Urogynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Toronto, Mount Sinai Hospital, Lawrence and Frances Bloomberg Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Professor Harold P. Drutz (Professor and Head)

Authors
  1. Mr Kevin M. Smith
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  2. Professor Harold P. Drutz
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Urogynecology Unit, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    H. P. Drutz BA, MD, FRC(C), FACOG, FSOGC

  2. Division of Urology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    S. Herschorn BSc, MDCM, FRCSC

  3. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    N. E. Diamant MD, FRCP(C)

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© 2003 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Smith, K.M., Drutz, H.P. (2003). The Effect of Pregnancy and Childbirth on the Lower Urinary Tract and Pelvic Floor. In: Drutz, H.P., Herschorn, S., Diamant, N.E. (eds) Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-84628-238-1_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-84628-238-1_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-84628-237-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-84628-238-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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