Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic at Tertiary Care Hospital Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of incidentally detected urinary incontinence (UI) occurring in women who have been referred to a tertiary care hospital in Lahore, Pakistan for antenatal care.

Methodology: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at the antenatal clinic of Lady Aitchison Hospital, Lahore between January and December of 2025 using the medical records of 149 pregnant women. All subjects had to meet inclusion criteria based on adequate responses to the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ) regarding UI frequency, quantity and impact. Women who had recorded birth defects affecting their urinary systems and/or neurological disorders, urinary tract infections at the initial evaluation, or preexisting UI were excluded from the analysis. SPSS version 26 was used to extract and analyse data concerning UI, obstetric history, and demographic characteristics.

Results: Gestational age at evaluation was 33.9±3.2 weeks and maternal age was 29.8±4.6 years. The total population of women with UI was 72 (48.3%), with the highest prevalence of SUI at 65.3% of the women, followed by mixed at 22.2%, urge at 12.5%. Most of the women were classified with mild (56.9%) or moderate (33.3%) symptoms based on the ICIQ impact score. The prevalence of UI increased as gestational age increased, with UI prevalence up to 31.5% at 28-30 weeks, 42.8% at 31-34 weeks, and 52.6% at >34weeks. Of the impacted women, only 24.2% reported UI on their own; the others were identified by accident.

Conclusion: UI affects a significant number of pregnant women, and without active assessment, the majority of cases go undiagnosed. These results highlight the necessity of early pelvic floor interventions and routine screening during pregnancy and the postpartum period in order to enhance the quality of life for mothers.