Abstract
The accurate assessment, recognition, and treatment of pelvic floor trauma during pregnancy and following birth has gained increasing importance over the last decade. Formerly viewed as unavoidable sequelae of vaginal birth, pelvic floor changes following birth are common, and in some cases carry adverse long-term problems including pain, sexual dysfunction, bowel and bladder incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse. On the other hand, the majority of women give birth without the development of serious pelvic floor problems. The challenge for practitioners is to both identify women at risk for problems and implement preventive practices that decrease the incidence of these disorders, without subjecting the many women not at risk for pelvic floor disorders to unnecessary interventions.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
DeLancey JOL, Morgan DM, Fenner DE et al. Comparison of levator ani muscle defects and function in women with and without pelvic organ prolapse. Obstet Gynecol 2007;109:295–302.
Snooks SJ, Swash M, Henry MM et al. Risk factors in childbirth causing damage to the pelvic floor innervation. Int J Colorectal Dis 1986;1:20–24.
Ashton-Miller JA, DeLancey JO. On the biomechanics of vaginal birth and common sequelae. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2009;11:163–176.
Mant J, Painter R, Vessey M. Epidemiology of genital prolapse: observations from the Oxford Family planning Association Study. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1997;104:579–585.
Roitviet G, Hunskaar S. Urinary incontinence and age at the first and last delivery: the Norwegian HUNT/EPICONT study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2006;195:433–438.
Albers LL, Sedler KD, Bedrick EJ et al. Midwifery care measures in the second stage of labor and reduction of genital tract trauma at birth: a randomized trial. J Midwifery Womens Health 2005;50:365–372.
Rogers RG, Leeman LM, Migliaccio L et al. Does the severity of spontaneous genital tract trauma affect postpartum pelvic floor function? Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2008;19:429–435.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Italia
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Rogers, R.G. (2010). Invited Commentary. In: Santoro, G.A., Wieczorek, A.P., Bartram, C.I. (eds) Pelvic Floor Disorders. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-1542-5_20
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-1542-5_20
Publisher Name: Springer, Milano
Print ISBN: 978-88-470-1541-8
Online ISBN: 978-88-470-1542-5
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)