Urinary incontinence increases risk of postpartum depression: systematic review and meta-analysis
Cristina Gallego‐Gómez, Eva Rodríguez‐Gutiérrez, Ana Torres‐Costoso, Vicente Martínez‐Vizcaíno, Sandra Martínez Bustelo, Claudia Andrea Quezada-Bascuñán, Asunción Ferri‐Morales
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Postpartum depression is one of the most common complications after childbearing. Urinary incontinence is a frequent symptom during pregnancy and the postnatal period, often being the first time that women experience it. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the evidence on the association between urinary incontinence and postpartum depression and to assess whether this association becomes weaker at 6 months after childbirth. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and PsycINFO were searched from inception to December 26, 2023. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Cross-sectional and cohort studies addressing the association between urinary incontinence and postpartum depression were included. METHODS: Pooled odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals, and 95% prediction intervals were estimated using a DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model for the association between urinary incontinence and postpartum depression. Subgroup analyses were conducted on the basis of time after delivery (<6 or ≥6 months). The risk of bias was assessed with the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort Studies. RESULTS: =50.7%; P=.087) for those with a postpartum period ≥6 months. CONCLUSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that urinary incontinence may be a potential predictor of postpartum depression. Thus, it is important that health care professionals offer support and treatment options to women who experience these conditions.