A Practical Approach to Pelvic Floor Dysfunctions After Childbirth: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Flowcharts

Pregnancy and childbirth are well-known risk factors for pelvic dysfunction. Great attention was paid in the later years to urinary incontinence, as many women report this distressing condition in the first year after delivery. So, many studies were published in the attempt of correlating urinary incontinence with risk factors either inherent maternal or fetal or delivery factors. Despite its frequency, urinary incontinence is not the only possible unwished consequence of delivery. Other dysfunctions can affect women, but they are often less investigated by professionals and reported by women. Minor prevalence, or greater shame in complaining of these other symptoms, and moreover no knowledge about available treatment could account for this disparity of approach.