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Postpartum urinary incontinence: a comparison of vaginal delivery, elective, and emergent cesarean section

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of delivery on the pelvic floor and whether cesarean section (C/S) can prevent pelvic floor injury. Five hundred thirty nine women were divided into three groups according to the delivery method adopted: elective C/S, emergent C/S, and vaginal delivery. A urinary incontinence questionnaire survey was conducted around 1 year postpartum. Emergent C/S may be a major risk factor for postpartum urinary incontinence and interfere with the benefit of elective C/S for preventing pelvic floor injury. Hence, not all C/S deliveries can reduce the likelihood of postpartum urinary incontinence. The key lies in whether the C/S is performed before labor.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 222 Mai-Chin Rd., Keelung, Taiwan, R.O.C.

    Hung-Yen Chin & Yu-Hung Liu

  2. Department of Public Health and Biostatistics Consulting Center, School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taiwan, R.O.C.

    Min-Chi Chen

  3. Section of Urogynecology, Songshan Armed Forces General Hospital and Department of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medical Center, 105, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.

    Kuo-Hwa Wang

Authors
  1. Hung-Yen Chin
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  2. Min-Chi Chen
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  3. Yu-Hung Liu
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  4. Kuo-Hwa Wang
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Correspondence to Kuo-Hwa Wang.

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Chin, HY., Chen, MC., Liu, YH. et al. Postpartum urinary incontinence: a comparison of vaginal delivery, elective, and emergent cesarean section. Int Urogynecol J 17, 631–635 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-006-0085-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-006-0085-y

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