Muscle function of the pelvic floor in healthy, puerperal women with pelvic floor dysfunction

OBJECTIVES

To understand the function of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) at different ages in healthy women and in puerperal women with pelvic floor dysfunctions (PFD) and to ascertain whether there are differences among them.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2014 and September 2016 and included 177 women, 70 of whom had no symptoms of PFD, 53 primiparous mothers in late postpartum and 54 with PFD. The function of the PFM was measured through vaginal palpation (quality of the contraction); manometry (force); dynamometer (tone, strength, and response to stretching), and surface electromyography (neuromuscular activity and resistance).

RESULTS

The healthy women showed superior values for PFM tone, maximum strength, neuromuscular activity and resistance than the puerperal mothers and the women with PFD (P<.01). The puerperal women and those with PFD showed similar functional PFM values (P>.05). The muscle function of the healthy women did not vary significantly with age, except in the case of tone, which was lower in the women older than 46 years (P=.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Age and births decrease the baseline tone of the PFM in healthy women. Therefore, lower strength, resistance and neuromuscular activity appear to be the main difference between the PFM of women with PFD and the PFM of healthy women.

Postpartum metabolic control in a cohort of women with type 1 diabetes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) involves greater risks as compared to non-diabetic women, but less information is available about blood glucose and weight control after delivery. Our aim was to evaluate the postpartum metabolic profile (blood glucose and weight control) of women with T1D and the factors related to those metabolic outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective, observational study of 36 women with T1D during pregnancy and for up to one year after delivery.

RESULTS

Fifty percent of patients attended a preconceptional planning program (PPP), and 44.4% of women were treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. Mean preconceptional HbA1c and body mass index (BMI) were 7.2±1.2% and 23.8±5.0 respectively. In the total cohort, blood glucose control significantly worsened one year after delivery (HbA1c: 7.2±1.2 vs 7.6±1.2%, P<0.001). Lower preconceptional HbA1c values were found in patients who attended PPP (6.6±0.5 vs. 7.8±1.4%; P=0.02), and were maintained for one year after delivery. No differences were found in body mass index (BMI) from the pregestational period to one year after delivery in any of two groups (No PPP 22.5±4.6 vs 23.2±4.8, P=0.078; PPP 25.4±3.4 vs 25.5±3.4 kg/m(2), P=0.947). Preconceptional HbA1c was shown to be the most important determinant of metabolic control (β=0.962, p<0.001) and weight one year after delivery (β=0.524, p=0.025) and weight gain during pregnancy (β=0.633, p=0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women with T1D return to prepregnancy body weight one year after delivery, especially those with lower HbA1c levels and BMI before pregnancy. However, blood glucose control deteriorates after delivery, suggesting the need for changes in clinical practice after delivery.