Objective: To examine the association between vaginal or cesarean delivery and urinary incontinence (UI) and identify the trend in the change in UI within the first 12 months postpartum.
Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study of 330 of 749 women who completed a UI questionnaire and a personal characteristics questionnaire over five visits in a medical center.
Results: The vaginal delivery group had a significant higher prevalence of any UI at 4-6 weeks and at 3, 6, and 12 months (29.1-40.2% vaginal compared with 14.2-25.5% cesarean); stress urinary incontinence (SUI) at 4-6 weeks and 3 and 12 months (15.9-25.4% vaginal compared with 6.4-15.6% cesarean); and moderate or severe UI at 3-5 days, 4-6 weeks, and 6 months (7.9-18.5% vaginal compared with 4.3-11.3% cesarean); and a significant higher score for interference in daily life at 3-5 days and 4-6 weeks (1.0, 0.7 vaginal compared with 0.7, 0.4 cesarean) compared with those in the cesarean delivery group. Prevalence increased for any UI, SUI, and slight UI (all P<.02) and daily life interference score decreased (P=.02) for women who had a vaginal delivery through 1 year postpartum.
Conclusion: Vaginal delivery was associated with higher UI prevalence that persisted for 1 year postpartum, but there was no association with interference in daily life after 6 weeks postpartum. Variation was observed in UI changes within the first year in the vaginal delivery and cesarean delivery groups.