Amenorrhea, pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes in women following spinal cord injury: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prevalence of amenorrhea and pregnancy as well as pregnancy outcomes following spinal cord injury (SCI) in women.

METHODS

In this retrospective cross-sectional study, women with SCI were interviewed regarding demographic data, details about the timing and type of SCI they sustained, whether the neurologic deficit was complete or incomplete, and reproductive history. The study was initiated in September 2001 and lasted 3 years. Measures were compared for significance with the level of injury and extent of neurologic deficit using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and 2-tailed t tests.

RESULTS

Of 128 women, 53 (41.4%) had postinjury amenorrhea. The amenorrhea was transient in 50 of 53 women. SCI occurred at the mean (+/- SD) age of 27 +/- 9 years. In this group the lesions were at thoracic spine in 35 (66%), cervical spine in 16 (30%), and lumbar spine in 2 (4%). Neurologic deficit was complete in 31 women (58%) and incomplete in 22 (42%). The occurrence of amenorrhea was not influenced by the extent of neurologic deficit. Of 50 women who experienced transient amenorrhea, 10 (20%) became pregnant (6 livebirths, 4 elective terminations). Mean duration of amenorrhea was 7.96 +/- 10.9 months; there was no significant difference between mean duration of amenorrhea in women who got pregnant vs those who did not (6.4 +/- 3.8 months vs 15.8 +/- 30.8 months; P = .34). Pregnancy rate was significantly higher among those who sustained injury at a younger age (21.6 +/- 5.3 years vs 28.3 +/- 9.3 years; P = .033).

CONCLUSIONS

Level of injury did not influence duration of amenorrhea or occurrence of pregnancy. Women who experience transient amenorrhea after SCI may achieve successful pregnancies.