SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters Health) - Counseling women with multiple pregnancies of the possibility of pelvic floor dysfunction is warranted, according to findings reported here at the 23rd annual meeting of the American Urogynecologic Society.

Dr. Roger P. Goldberg, of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, presented the results of his group's study of 733 mothers of twins or triplets. The women completed a 77-item questionnaire that included information on symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, obstetrical and surgical history, and sociodemographic data.

The median age of the respondents was 37 years, and the median time since delivery was 7.6 years. Route of delivery involved cesarean section for 57.2% women while 41.9% had at least one vaginal delivery.

Nearly half the 733 women (49.8%) reported some type of incontinence. Stress incontinence was reported in 45.5%, urge incontinence in 27.3%, and mixed urinary incontinence in 22.9% of the respondents. Fecal incontinence occurred in 10%, vaginal bulging or pressure occurred in 20.4% and pelvic pain was reported by 17.2%.

After accounting for other covariates such as increasing age, menopause, and previous surgery for incontinence, both stress and urge incontinence remained strongly predictive of less favorable quality of life as indicated by responses to the questionnaires, Dr. Goldberg reported.

Additional findings from the study showed that delivery by cesarian section reduced the rate of stress incontinence by 52%, a "very robust" statistical finding, Dr. Goldberg added.

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