Effects of Type of Delivery on Development of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Primiparous Mothers

Stress urinary incontinence, the most common urinary incontinence in women, occurs when the intra-abdominal pressure increases. Although many studies have introduced normal vaginal delivery as a risk factor for future stress urinary incontinence and considered cesarean as a preventive method, others have raised controversy about such a predictive effect. This study evaluated the frequency of stress urinary incontinence in primiparous mothers giving birth in Shahid Beheshti Hospital (Isfahan, Iran) to understand the effects of type of delivery on developing the condition. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 women in three groups of normal vaginal delivery, elective cesarean, and emergency cesarean. The subjects had given birth in Shahid Beheshti Hospital within six months prior to the study. Stress urinary incontinence was assessed with the Bonney test. The overall frequency of stress urinary incontinence was 5.6%. It was 6.0%, 4.0%, and 7.0% among women with normal vaginal delivery, elective cesarean, and emergency cesarean, respectively (P = 0.41). No significant relation was observed between the prevalence of stress urinary incontinence and type of delivery.