Effects of postpartum urinary incontinence: systematic review and meta-analysis  

Background: Postpartum urinary incontinence seriously affects the physical and mental health of women. The factors influencing postpartum urinary incontinence are still controversial in clinical research. By understanding the factors influencing postpartum urinary incontinence, we can better intervene with women in labor. Therefore, this review aimed to examine the effects of maternal postpartum urinary incontinence, so as to provide scientific references for the clinical development of prevention strategies. Method: The research searched articles using bibliographical Databases: Embase, Pubmed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CBM, VIP, CNKI, and Wan Fang Data. All study designs were considered while investigating the effects of postpartum urinary incontinence. All articles prior to February 2023 were searched. Studies include laboring mothers with normal labor and delivery. A total of 28,303 women were included in the reviewed studies. Results: We identified 5,915 potential citations, of which 32 articles assessed the effects of postpartum urinary incontinence. Meta-analysis showed that the incidence of Postpartum urinary incontinence was 26%[95%CI:(21%~30%)]. There are 12 influencing factors that affect postpartum urinary incontinence: caesarean delivery, normal delivery, age ≥ 35 years, number of deliveries ≥ 2, weight > 4 kg, perineal scoliosis, history of the urinary incontinence-related disease, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 24 kg/m 2 , perineal tear, instrumental delivery, history of pelvic surgery, and prolonged second stage of labor. Discussion: Based on the above influencing factors, we can reduce postpartum urinary incontinence by early intervention and timely prevention in patients with these risks. The following two main problems exist in this study: First, the study excluded literature with less than 2 studies on the same influencing factor and literature whose data could not be utilized or combined, which may have some selection bias. Second, this study was limited by the sample size, and some of the influencing factors were included in a small number of literatures, which did not allow for the detection of publication bias. Prospero registration number: [ CRD42023412096]