Archives of gynecology and obstetrics
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Arch. Gynecol. Obstet. · Nov 1999
Comparative StudyChanges in uterine size after vaginal delivery and cesarean section determined by vaginal sonography in the puerperium.
There have been few reports on postpartum changes in the uterus during the three months after delivery. The aim of this study was to evaluate uterine morphological changes in women after vaginal delivery (n=262-351) and in women after cesarean section (n=64-82) and to evaluate the relation between breast-feeding and parity, and uterine involution at 1 and 3 months postpartum measured by vaginal ultrasonography. There were no significant differences in parity between the vaginal delivery group and the cesarean section group. ⋯ Stepwise regression and multiple regression analysis among parity, the history of cesarean section, the breast-feeding rate at one and three months after the delivery, and the restoration of the menses at three months after the delivery showed that the uterine size at one month after the delivery was related to the cesarean section and that the uterine size at three months after delivery was mostly related to the rate of breast-feeding. These results indicated that uterine involution was related to delivery mode at one and three months postpartum, feeding mode at three months postpartum, the menses restoration, and parity. The rate of breastfeeding was mostly related to the uterine size at three months postpartum.