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Researchers questioned thousands of women 20-26 years after they first became a mother.
A high proportion of women experience urinary and faecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse up to 26 years after giving birth, research has found.
The study by Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) found 61% of women surveyed had recently experienced urinary incontinence, 22% had faecal incontinence and 17% had prolapse symptoms.
There were differences in the rates depending on how women had given birth, and those who had only delivered by Caesarean had lower rates of all three symptoms – but they still remained at 53%, 16% and 9% respectively.
Women who had a forceps delivery at any time were more likely to report faecal incontinence compared to those who had unassisted deliveries.
Being overweight was associated with a higher risk of urinary and faecal incontinence, and prolapse regardless of how they gave birth because of the pressure the extra weight puts on the pelvic floor.
The study, led by professor of health services research Suzanne Hagen of GCU’s school of health and life sciences, initially involved 8,000 women who had given birth at maternity units in Aberdeen and Birmingham, and Dunedin in New Zealand, in 1993 and 1994.
The women were sent follow-up questionnaires 20-26 years later and 2,270 responded.
Losing weight if required can reduce the risk of urinary and faecal incontinence, and prolapse by reducing the downward pressure on the pelvic organs
PROFESSOR SUZANNE HAGEN, GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITY
Prof Hagen said: “This was a unique study that really delved into the extent of the problem and the findings were pretty stark for all women after childbirth, regardless of how they had their babies.
“What came out loud and clear from this research was that pelvic floor problems which can have distressing effects for women are really common, in the long as well as short term, after giving birth, with over half the women involved in the study reporting symptoms.
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