CHILDBIRTH AND THE PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES AND STRATEGIES TO PREVENT THE DISORDER: A REVIEW ARTICLE

Background & Aims: Pelvic floor disorder (PFD), which reduces quality of life, is a major health concern for women. The purpose of this review study is to assess the effect of childbirth on the pelvic floor muscles and its prevention strategies. Materials & Methods: In this narrative review, the articles indexed in the databases of PubMed, ProQuest, Science Direct, Springer, Google Scholar were searched. Keywords including Pelvic floor disorder, Pelvic floor dysfunction, Pelvic floor muscles, urinary & faecal incontinence, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, vaginal birth, Cesarean, and prevention were used. Results: Among the articles published in Persian and English language between 2000 and 2020, 32 articles were extracted, and among the available articles, 21 articles were reviewed and reported. Finally, the findings of this study showed that several factors are involved in the occurrence of pelvic floor disorders, but the use of prevention methods can help prevent the occurrence of these disorders. Conclusion: Pregnancy and childbirth are risk factors for the development of PFD. Instrumental delivery and the prolonged two stages of labor are the key risk factors. Women at high risk for PFD should be identified and given prevention strategies. Primary and secondary prevention strategies include Proper spacing between pregnancies through the use of contraceptive methods, proper management of the labor process, and recommending pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy and after childbirth. These measures play an important role in reducing the incidence of PFD associated with vaginal delivery.