MAMMI study to shed light on mothers’ invisible health problems
The MAMMI study (Maternal health And Maternal Morbidity in Ireland) an HRB-funded longitudinal research project will follow over 2600 women through their pregnancy and for one year after the birth of their first baby, gathering information and experiences on a range of important health issues.
The study group represents almost 10% of all first-time mothers giving birth in Ireland in a given year, and will investigate topics such as urinary incontinence; mental health issues such as anxiety, stress and depression; pelvic girdle pain; sexual health; domestic violence; c-sections; and diet and activity during pregnancy. The first set of early findings investigated urinary incontinence (leaking urine) in women, before, during and after the birth of their first child. This research looked at the prevalence and mitigating factors in urinary incontinence (UI) in 860 women, before, during and after pregnancy. Some of the key findings included:
- 1 in 3 women leak urine occasionally before becoming pregnant and 1 in 12 leak urine once a month or more frequently.
- In early pregnancy, more than 1 in 3 women leak urine during pregnancy and almost one in 5 leak urine once a month or more frequently.
- Three months after the birth, 1 in 2 women leaked some amount of urine and even 6 months after the birth, 1 in 5 women still leak urine once a month or more frequently.
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