Is anterior genital tract trauma associated with complaints of postpartum urinary incontinence?

We evaluated whether anterior genital trauma is associated with urinary incontinence after vaginal birth. A prospective cohort of midwifery patients consented to mapping of trauma at birth and assessment of continence postpartum. Trauma was categorized into intact, anterior (periuretheral, clitoral, labial), perineal or both. Incontinence was defined as a positive response to the question, "Since the birth of your baby, have you leaked urine when you did not mean to?" and social impact assessed by the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7). Of 554 eligible women, 436 (79%) provided incontinence data 3 months postpartum. Genital trauma was common, occurring in 80% of women: in 148 (34%) trauma was anterior, 119 (27%) had both anterior and perineal trauma and 80(18%) had only perineal trauma. Since delivery, 27% (118/436) women leaked urine. Fewer had IIQ-7 scores greater than 0, at 55/436 (12%). Women with anterior trauma, 29/148 (20%), were less likely to complain of incontinence than all others, 89/288 (31%) (P = 0.01). Urinary incontinence is common after giving birth, although most women have mild symptoms. Anterior trauma is not associated with increased complaints of urinary incontinence.

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