Obesity as a predictor of postpartum urinary symptoms.
BACKGROUND
To investigate the relationship between pre-pregnancy obesity, and urinary symptoms, especially urinary incontinence, before, during, and 6-18 months after delivery.


METHODS
Body Mass Index extracted from obstetric records. Postal questionnaire. MATERIAL AND SETTING: One hundred and eight women with Body Mass Index of at least 30 kg/m2 delivered at the Obstetric Department, Herning Central Hospital, October 1994 to September 1995. As control served 108 matched, normal weight women delivering during the same period.


RESULTS
Response rate was 83%. Stress incontinence, urgency and the feeling of having a hygienic problem was significantly more common after delivery in both groups, but at any time significantly more common among obese women. Urge incontinence was a numerically small problem after delivery.


CONCLUSIONS
Obesity is a potent risk factor for several urinary symptoms after pregnancy and delivery, and a substantial number of women still have problems 6-18 months postpartum.
Rasmussen
K L
KL
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Herning Central Hospital, Denmark.
Krue
S
S
Johansson
L E
LE
Knudsen
H J
HJ
Agger
A O
AO
D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000209:etiology*