Comparison of incontinent characteristics between women with hypothyroid dysfunction and euthyroidism during pregnancy and the first year postpartum: A prospective observational study.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the occurrence and severity of gestational and postpartum urinary incontinence (UI) and the negative impact upon quality of life (QoL) among pregnant women with gestational hypothyroidism. After initial selection 522 eligible subjects with gestational UI were enrolled and distributed into the HUI (hypothyroid UI, n = 155) and EUI (euthyroid UI, n = 367) groups, respectively. Their demographic parameters, clinic characteristics and incontinent profiles evaluated by the validated International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence-Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF) questionnaire were collected during gestational and postpartum follow-ups. Within the present study the overall prevalence rate of gestational UI was 45.4% (522/1150). The three scored items of ICIQ-UI-SF questionnaire including leakage frequency, leakage amount and negative impact upon incontinence-specific QoL of the HUI group, as well as leakage severity evaluated by the validated ICIQ-UI-SF questionnaire and 1 h pad test, were significantly greater than those of the EUI group during pregnancy, 6-7 weeks postpartum and over the first year postpartum (P < 0.05 or 0.001). No intergroup significant difference regarding leakage frequency and leakage amount, negative impact upon incontinence-specific QoL and leakage severity was observed during 3-4 months postpartum follow-up. Gestational hypothyroidism could elevate the leakage frequency, amount and severity of UI and exacerbate the negative impact of UI upon incontinence-specific QoL among subjects within the HUI group during pregnancy and the first year postpartum, which underlines the potential relationship between gestational hypothyroidism and gestational and postpartum UI.