Biomaterial Database

Epidural anesthesia during labor and stress incontinence after delivery. 1993

L Viktrup, and G Lose

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Glostrup Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that epidural anesthesia during labor prevents the development of stress incontinence after vaginal birth. METHODS We interviewed 208 primiparas about stress incontinence 3 months postpartum. The women who developed stress incontinence after delivery were interviewed again 1 year postpartum. RESULTS Twelve of 45 women (27%) who had epidural anesthesia developed stress incontinence de novo after vaginal delivery, versus 21 of 163 (13%) who did not receive epidural anesthesia, a marginally significant difference (P = .05). Those who had epidural anesthesia also had a significantly longer first stage of labor. One year after delivery, three of 42 (7%) in the epidural anesthesia group had stress incontinence, compared with five of 163 (3%) in the control group. CONCLUSIONS Our results do not support the hypothesis that epidural anesthesia protects against the development of stress incontinence after vaginal delivery.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007743	Labor, Obstetric	The repetitive uterine contraction during childbirth which is associated with the progressive dilation of the uterine cervix (CERVIX UTERI). Successful labor results in the expulsion of the FETUS and PLACENTA. Obstetric labor can be spontaneous or induced (LABOR, INDUCED).	Obstetric Labor
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011644	Puerperal Disorders	Disorders or diseases associated with PUERPERIUM, the six-to-eight-week period immediately after PARTURITION in humans.	Disorder, Puerperal,Disorders, Puerperal,Puerperal Disorder
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D000767	Anesthesia, Epidural	Procedure in which an anesthetic is injected into the epidural space.	Anesthesia, Extradural,Anesthesia, Peridural,Epidural Anesthesia,Anesthesias, Epidural,Anesthesias, Extradural,Anesthesias, Peridural,Epidural Anesthesias,Extradural Anesthesia,Extradural Anesthesias,Peridural Anesthesia,Peridural Anesthesias
D014550	Urinary Incontinence, Stress	Involuntary discharge of URINE as a result of physical activities that increase abdominal pressure on the URINARY BLADDER without detrusor contraction or overdistended bladder. The subtypes are classified by the degree of leakage, descent and opening of the bladder neck and URETHRA without bladder contraction, and sphincter deficiency.	Urinary Stress Incontinence,Incontinence, Urinary Stress,Stress Incontinence, Urinary