•  
  •  
 

Subject Area

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Background Uterine involution is normally completed 6–8 weeks after giving birth. Despite the high variability in uterine involution from one to another parturient, indigent uterine involution has been found to be related to maternal illness. Objective The purpose of this study was to estimate the pattern of uterine involution through the use of symphysis-fundal distance (S-FD) to describe the normal pattern of uterine involution in terms of S-FD measurements. Patients and methods This was a prospective observational study conducted on 80 term primigravidae, who attended the labor ward of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Al Shohada Central Hospital and followed up weekly after their delivery at the outpatient clinic of the same hospital. Results It has been shown that 2 weeks after delivery is the first time that S-FD becomes zero. S-FD becomes zero in the second week in 53 (66.3%) women. Results indicated that in those 3 weeks after delivery, complete involution of the uterus into the pelvis has happened in all cases. The involution rate per day ranged from 0.85 to 1.50 cm, with a mean ± SD of 1.12 ± 0.20 cm. Conclusion The upper limit of S-FD immediately after labor was 22 cm. In the first week, it was 15 cm and 6 cm in the second week postpartum. Three weeks after delivery, the entire involution of the uterus into the pelvis has occurred in all cases (S-FD = 0 cm). Different S-FD of initial uterine involution did not lead to different duration for destined involution.

Download

Share

COinS