title: Incidence of urinary incontinence and constipation during pregnancy and postpartum: survey of current findings at the Rotunda Lying-In Hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of pregnancy upon continence and constipation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Maternity wards in the Rotunda Lying In Hospital, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  7771 women who were delivered of liveborn infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaires were delivered and collected by physiotherapy staff as part of routine postnatal care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of data using chi2 tests showed significant differences between three parity groups [primigravidae, multigravidae (2-4) and multigravidae (5+)] for symptoms of both urinary incontinence (chi2 = 119.54, df = 2, P = 0.000) and constipation (chi2 = 12.53, df = 3, P = 0.002); the incidence of both constipation and urinary incontinence increased with parity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this survey have emphasised the relation between parity and postpartum incontinence which stresses the importance of early diagnosis and intervention.
authors.affiliation: Rotunda Lying In Hospital, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Baxter
mesh_terms: D003248:Constipation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*