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UTRECHT, Netherlands, Feb 1, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Netherlands scientists say bladder problems experienced by women going through their first pregnancy subside considerably three months after childbirth.
Researchers at the University Medical Center in Utrecht studied 344 women, asking them to complete questionnaires when they were 12 and 36 weeks pregnant and then 3 and 12 months after delivery.
They found more than 50 percent of first-time mothers experienced overactive bladder, or OAB, symptoms when they were 12 weeks pregnant. That included 3.5 percent who had the added problem of incontinence.
The number suffering OAB and incontinence at 36 weeks increased to 15 percent, but fell to 3.5 percent at three and 12 months after delivery. A further 8 percent still reported OAB without incontinence at 3 and 12 months after delivery.
"The physical reasons why pregnant women experience overactive bladder symptoms is still not clear" said lead author Dr. Henriette Van Brummen. "What is clear, however, is the effect that it can have on some women's quality of life. It's an issue that healthcare professionals need to address."
The study appears in the latest issue of the British Journal of Urology International.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
