Table 2

Studies assessing the effect of pelvic floor muscle exercises during pregnancy to treat urinary incontinence including only women with urinary incontinence at inclusion

AuthorDesignSubjectsTraining protocolLosses to follow-up/adherencee må sjekkesOutcomes (numbers and percentage (%))
Woldringh et al332-arm RCT
1. Control (n=152):Routine care.
2. Intervention (n=112): Four sessions of individual instructions in PFMT		N=264 women with UI at 22-week pregnancy.
Multi centre, the Netherlands		1. Control: routine care. Nearly 2/3 received some instruction on PFMT.
2. Intervention: three sessions of individual therapy during 23–30-week pregnancy and one 6 weeks after delivery, combined with written information.		Losses to follow-up %:
Control/Intervention 35 weeks:   17/148-week postpartum:  25/186-month postpartum:  30/2912-month postpartum:  42/35v
Adherence to PFMT:

  • ▸ 54% in the intervention group participated during the whole study period, and 77% of these women reported regular PFMT at 35 weeks of pregnancy.

  • ▸ 50% in the control group participated during the whole study period, and 40% of these women reported regular PFMT at 35 weeks of pregnancy.

Adverse events not stated
ITT analysis		Self-reported severity of any UI:
Control        Intervention  p 35-week pregnancy:   93%    88%0.338-week postpartum: 68%    62%0.446-month postpartum: 60%    56%0.6312-month postpartum: 63%    58%0.611-year postpartum: Negative correlation between training intensity and severity of UI
Dinc et al192-arm RCT
1. Control (n=46)
2. Intervention (n=46): PFMT		N=92 pregnant women recruited at 20–34 week pregnancy. All women had existing UI. Primiparous and multiparous.
Single centre, Turkey		1. Control
2. Intervention: 3–16 weeks of intensive PFMT, with thorough instruction and additional home exercises between 20 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. 3 sets of 10–15 contractions 2–3 times per day. Both fast and slow (3–10 sec) contractions
Correct VPFMC checked at enrolment in both groups		Losses to follow-up: 24/92 (6 in both groups) after first evaluation, second 12 lost to follow-up (5 intervention and 7 controls).
Adherence to PFMT: ?
Not ITT analysis		Self-reported UI at 36–38-week pregnancy:
1. Control: 25/35 (71.4%)
2. Intervention: 16/37 (43.2%)
UI at 6–8-week postpartum:
1. Control: 13/33 (38.4%)
2. Intervention: 6/35 (17.1%)
Significant difference in episodes of UI, Urgency, number of voids and amount of urine in pad test in favour of the intervention group both at 36–38-week pregnancy and at 6–8-week postpartum
PFM strength: sign difference (p=0.00) in favour of the intervention group both at 36–38-week pregnancy and at 6–8-week postpartum
Sangsa-wang et al25Quasiexperimental design, pre-test and post-test
1. Control (35)2.
2. Intervention (35) PFMT		N=70 with SUI at gestational age of 20–30 weeks
Single centre, Thailand		1. Control
2. Intervention: 6-week PFMT		Losses to follow-up: 4 in the intervention group Adherence to PFMT: ?
Not ITT analysis		Severity of SUI after intervention:
Significantly lower frequency and amount of urine leakage and score of perceived SUI severity in the intervention group

  • ITT, intention to treat analysis; NS, non-significant; PFM, pelvic floor muscles; PFMT, pelvic floor muscle training; RCT, randomised controlled trial; RR, relative risk; SUI, stress urinary incontinence; UI, urinary incontinence; VPFMC, voluntary pelvic floor muscle contraction.