Factors involved in the persistence of stress urinary incontinence from postpartum to 12 years after first delivery

Aims The aim of this study was to investigate constitutional-, pregnancy-, labor-, and delivery-related factors involved in the long-term persistence of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) from 6 months postpartum to 12 years after first delivery. We also evaluated severity and impact on quality of life of persistent SUI. Methods This was a longitudinal study including primigravid women who gave birth at our Public Health Hospital during 2007. Urinary symptoms were investigated at inclusion, 6 months and 12 years after delivery. Persistent SUI was defined as SUI reported both at 6 months postpartum and 12 years after first delivery. The International Consultation on Incontinence-Urinary Incontinence-Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF) and the Incontinence Severity Index (ISI) were used to evaluate SUI. Results During the inclusion period, 479 pregnant women were interviewed, 381 attended the 6-month follow-up visit, and 315 formed the study group. SUI persisted in 36 out of 44 (81.8%) women. With the ISI, 52.8% of these women were categorized as having slight, 41.7% moderate, and 5.6% severe incontinence. The mean ICIQ-UI-SF score was 7.13 (SD 3.51). Pregnancy SUI (odds ratio [OR], 4.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.10-9.80) and active second stage of labor more than or equal to 1 hour (OR, 3.68; 95% CI, 1.21-11.14) were independently associated with persistent SUI. Conclusions Women who reported SUI during pregnancy, and those who had pushed for more than or equal to 1 hour in the second stage of labor were at greater risk of SUI persisting from 6 months postpartum to long after delivery. We found this independent association after controlling for several constitutional-, pregnancy-, labor-, and delivery-related variables.