Urinary incontinence in pregnancy and in puerperium: 3 months follow-up after delivery

AIM: The aim of this clinic prospective study was to point out the predisposing risk factors for the development of urinary incontinence during pregnancy and postpartum and to understand how to prevent the symptomatology. METHODS: Sixty seven primipara women at 32 weeks of pregnancy and 3 months after the delivery, were studied through an urogynecological work-up and a questionnaire on the main urinary symptoms. RESULTS: At 32 weeks of pregnancy, 27 patients (40.29%) were affected by stress urinary incontinence (SUI) of type I and 22 (32.83%) by urge incontinence. Three months after delivery, it was observed SUI of type I in 8 patients (15.68%), SUI of type II in 9 patients (17.64%), SUI of type II and II degree cystouretrocele in 3 patients (5.8%) and urge incontinence in 14 patients (27.45%). The most frequent risk factors that were tracked down were: a vaginal delivery, with a prolonged labour, and the episiotomy. We didn't find either substantial changes in the weight between patients continent and incontinent or correlations with the patients' age or with the weight of the foetus and the symptomatology reported. CONCLUSION: It is important to understand the beginning of the urinary symptoms in the pregnant women, to prevent the worsening of it. It is required, however, a long term follow-up on our patients to verify if the urinary incontinence persists or disappears by the time is needed.