ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence during pregnancy is relatively frequent and is seen in some cases as a normal event. Several authors estimate a prevalence of urinary incontinence during pregnancy of 58.1%. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence in women at the National Institute of Perinatology Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes from March to May 2008. We also assessed the type, severity and frequency of involuntary loss of urine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: longitudinal study to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence before and during pregnancy, by quarter, type, frequency and severity. RESULTS: The prevalence of urinary incontinence during pregnancy was 58.2% and before pregnancy was 34.7%. The odds ratio for the association of multiparity and incontinence before pregnancy was 1.7 (95% CI 1.2-2.5) and 2.0 (95% CI 1.4-2.9) to manifest during pregnancy. Patients under 26 years have an odds ratio for urinary incontinence of 0.67 (95% CI 0.4-0.9). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of urinary incontinence increases during pregnancy, multiparity is a risk factor for urinary incontinence and age under 26 is a protective factor.
