Health related quality of life of women at the sixth week and sixth month postpartum by mode of birth

Abstract

Background: Health-related quality of life of women in the postpartum period may depend on the mode of birth. However, previous findings are contradictory.

Aim: To explore health-related quality of life of women at the sixth week and sixth month postpartum by mode of birth.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal prospective study in Spain that included 546 healthy primiparae aged 18 to 45 years who gave birth to a healthy newborn. At the sixth week and sixth month postpartum, we analysed sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and compared health-related quality of life (measured using the SF-36) by mode of birth (normal vaginal, forceps, vacuum-extraction, elective caesarean section, emergency caesarean section). In addition, we analysed the change in health-related quality of life between the two time points for each mode of birth.

Findings: We did not find differences in health-related quality of life by mode of birth at the sixth week or sixth month postpartum. At the sixth week postpartum, regardless of the mode of birth, women with postpartum urinary incontinence reported lower health-related quality of life. Between the sixth week and sixth month postpartum, health-related quality of life improved for all modes of birth.

Conclusion: While mode of birth is not directly associated with health-related quality of life, it does have an indirect relationship in the short term. Women who reported the lowest health-related quality of life were those with postpartum urinary incontinence. Most women with postpartum urinary incontinence were in the forceps group.

Keywords: Health related quality of life; Longitudinal study; Mode of birth; SF-36; Urinary incontinence.