Women Over 30 Face Greater Bladder Risks from Early Pelvic Floor Changes After Delivery: Study Finds
USA: A recent study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology has identified a significant link between early postpartum pelvic floor changes and the development of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms within a year after vaginal delivery.
Women with an enlarged genital hiatus (GH) or pelvic organ prolapse (POP) were at notably higher risk of OAB by 50% and 80%, respectively. The association was even more pronounced in women over the age of 30, with adjusted relative risks rising to 2.1 for GH and 2.2 for POP. These findings suggest that anatomical alterations in the pelvic floor soon after childbirth may be key contributors to the onset of OAB, particularly in older postpartum women.
Genital hiatus enlargement has been previously linked to POP and OAB several years after childbirth, typically within a 5–to 10-year timeframe. However, it remains unclear whether this association appears earlier in the postpartum period. To address this gap, Whitney K. Hendrickson, Division of Urogynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, UT, and colleagues aimed to evaluate the relationship between the development of OAB within one year after the first vaginal delivery and three key factors: enlarged GH, anatomic POP, and self-reported bulge symptoms.
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