Pelvic floor distress symptoms within 9 weeks of childbirth among Nigerian women.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the occurrence and severity of pelvic floor symptoms during the postnatal period among Nigerian women. STUDY DESIGN A total of 90 women were prospectively interviewed using the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory - Short Form 20 (PFDI-20). Additional questions related to the demographic and obstetric profile of the study population. The subjects were recruited into the study during postnatal visits at a tertiary-level hospital after giving their verbal consent to participate in the study. RESULTS A variety of lower urinary and bowel symptoms were found in the study population. The commonest lower urinary symptom was frequent micturition, which was reported by 24.4% of respondents, followed by urine leakage during coughing, sneezing and laughing. The commonest lower bowel symptom reported was straining hard to pass stool (26.7%) followed by pains when passing stool (15.6%). The Urinary Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6) score was 26.8/100, Colorectal-Anal Distress Inventory-8 (CRADI-8) was 55.25/100 and Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory-6 (POPDI-6), 12.7/100. The total PFDI-20 score was 94.8/300. CONCLUSION Pelvic floor symptoms are prevalent in the study population and could be a pointer to the quality of obstetric care available. Efforts need to be intensified to create awareness and build capacity to prevent and manage these symptoms, which could impact the quality of lives of affected women.