Meta-analysis of the influence of cesarean section and vaginal delivery on pelvic floor function

Objective To systematically evaluate the influence of cesarean section and vaginal delivery on pelvic floor function. Methods A comprehensive search of scientific literature focusing on the influence of cesarean section and vaginal delivery on pelvic floor function published from January 2015 to April 2019 was conducted through database of VIP Journal Network,Wanfang,China Journal Full-text,Pub Med,Library of Congress,and Web of Science. Meta-analysis was conducted with stata 15. 0 software. Results A total of 7 081 maternal women were included in 20 qualified studies,including 2 965 cases of cesarean section and 4 116 cases of vaginal delivery. Meta-analysis results showed that the rate of vaginal anterior wall prolapse,vaginal posterior wall prolapse,uterine prolapse,urinary incontinence,pelvic organ prolapsed,impaired muscle strength,and impaired deep muscle strength were different in various modes of delivery. The difference was statistically significant(P< 0. 05). Conclusion The effect of cesarean section on pelvic floor function is less than that of vaginal delivery,which reduces the incidence of pelvic floor muscle injury and pelvic floor disease(PFD) to a certain extent. However,cesarean section can not be used as the principle to choose cesarean section because it is not able to avoid the occurrence of PFD completely.