A recent study published in The Lancet Global Health sheds light on the significant, and often overlooked, long-term health problems faced by women after childbirth. The research estimates that over 40 million women globally annually endure enduring health issues arising from childbirth, extending well beyond the postnatal period.
The study, part of a special Series on maternal health, unveils a substantial burden of postnatal conditions persisting for months or even years after giving birth. These include dyspareunia (pain during sexual intercourse), affecting 35% of postpartum women, low back pain (32%), anal incontinence (19%), urinary incontinence (8-31%), anxiety (9-24%), depression (11-17%), perineal pain (11%), fear of childbirth (tokophobia) (6-15%), and secondary infertility (11%).
The authors of the study emphasize the need for greater acknowledgment within the healthcare system of these prevalent issues. Effective care throughout pregnancy and childbirth is deemed crucial to detecting risks and averting complications leading to lasting health problems after birth.
Dr. Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at WHO, highlights the underappreciation of these postpartum conditions, stating, “Many postpartum conditions cause considerable suffering in women’s daily life long after birth, both emotionally and physically, and yet they are largely underappreciated, underrecognized, and underreported.”
Despite the prevalence of these conditions, the study notes a neglect in clinical research, practice, and policy. The authors identify a lack of recent high-quality guidelines for the effective treatment of 40% of the 32 priority conditions analyzed in their study.
The Lancet’s broader Series, titled “Maternal health in the perinatal period and beyond,” advocates for increased attention to the long-term health of women, both before and after pregnancy. The Series calls for a holistic approach to maternal health, addressing social, economic, and environmental conditions that affect women’s health.
While emphasizing the need for high-quality healthcare throughout a woman’s life, the Series contends that maternal health should not be a concern only during pregnancy but requires a comprehensive approach considering various factors influencing a woman’s health.
The study concludes with a call for a robust, multidisciplinary health system that not only provides quality maternity services but also prevents ill health and mitigates broader inequities, ensuring the well-being of women throughout their lives.
