Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Physical Therapy - Department of Physical Therapy for Gynecology and Obstetrics

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of pregnancy on pelvic floor muscle strength. Two hundred pregnant women in their 12 weeks of gestation were selected randomly from the antenatal care clinic of Kasr Alaini hospital-Cairo university and Elmansoura university hospital-Mansoura university. Their ages were ranged from 25 to 35 years old and their body mass index was not exceeding 30 kg/m2. They were primigravida and multigravida. They were divided into two groups equal in number, group (A) one hundred primigravida women, group (B) one hundred multigravida women. All women performed evaluation tests for their pelvic floor muscles strength using TG Myo feedback 420v at 12, 20 and 32 weeks of gestation to determine any change in pelvic floor muscles strength in these different periods of pregnancy. The results of this study found that, within groups there was a statistically highly significant decrease (P<0.01) in pelvic floor muscles strength in both groups A and B with percentage of decrease 17.57% and 42.77% respectively. Between groups comparison, there was statistically highly significant difference in pelvic floor muscles strength in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester between both groups with higher percentage of decrease in pelvic floor muscles strength in group B (multigravida). Also, the results showed that there was highly significant difference between both groups in the mean values of differences of decrease in 1st to 3rd trimester in the pelvic floor muscles strength (more decrease in group B). Accordingly, it can be concluded that the pregnancy markedly affect the pelvic floor muscles strength with more affection of the multigravida women

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