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CompletedNCT01045135Updated Feb 18, 2019Results posted

The Effect of Pregnancy and Labour on the Pelvic Floor Diagnosed With 3D and 4D Ultrasound

An observational study in Obstetric; Injury Pelvic Floor, sponsored by University Hospital, Akershus. Completed at 1 site in Norway. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 50 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-02-18.

Sponsored by University Hospital, Akershus · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
300
Ages
18 Years to 50 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

Injuries to the pelvic floor muscles and fascias during delivery and childbirth may lead to urinary incontinence (25-45 %), faecal incontinence (11-45%), pelvic organ prolapse (7-23%), sexual dysfunction (15-33 %) and chronic pain syndromes (4-15%). Pelvic floor muscle injuries are not easy to diagnose as they are not visible when looking at surface anatomy during a standard gynaecological examination. The investigators are therefore in urgent need of better tools to diagnose these injuries. Having a reliable and easily accessible tool enables studies of the consequences of such pelvic floor muscle injuries. It also makes it possible for us to explore the effect of interventions such as pelvic floor muscle training and surgery in patients with and without pelvic floor muscle injuries. The investigators have previously presented data to support the reliability and the validity of the three and four dimensional (3 and 4D) ultrasound technique used to define pelvic floor muscle anatomy in healthy volunteers and have now a tool to study women before and after delivery. At the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Akershus University Hospital there are approximately 4500 deliveries annually and 1500 women are giving birth for the first time.

Challenges: The invitation to participate in the study will be given to all women expecting their first child fulfilling inclusion criteria. The biggest challenges in the project will be logistical. To be able to inform, recruit and follow women having their first child is a challenge in it self.

Applications: If it is possible to identify a risk group for pelvic floor injuries before delivery, it might be ethical to recommend a prophylactic caesarean section to avoid disabling incontinence and prolapse later in life.

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Conditions studied

  • Obstetric; Injury Pelvic Floor

Keywords

  • Pelvic organ prolapse
  • Levator hiatus
  • 3 and 4 dimensional ultrasound
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In context

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Akershus is the lead sponsor of 123 studies on the registry; 28 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 50 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Women giving birth to their first child at Akershus University Hospital, Norway

Inclusion criteria

  • Women giving birth to their first child at Akershus University Hospital, Norway
  • Must understand spoken and written Norwegian

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous pregnancy of more than 16 weeks
  • Serious illness mother or child
  • Birth before pregnancy week 32
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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
300 participants (actual)

Groups and cohorts

  • first time delivery

    Women giving birth to their first child

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Levator Hiatus Area at Rest Measured Via 3-dimensional Ultrasound at Gestational Week 21 and 37.

    3-dimensional ultrasound was used to capture the axial plane of the pelvic floor in order to measure LH area. Levator hiatus area was measured at gestational week 21 and 37, at rest, during contraction and during Valsalva maneuver - giving 6 measurements all together. The change in LH area was computed between the two different timepoints giving 3 outcomes

    Time frame: 21 weeks and 37 weeks of gestation

  2. Change in Levator Hiatus Area at Contraction Measured Via 3D Ultrasound at Gestational Week 21 and 37

    3-dimensional ultrasound was used to capture the axial plane of the pelvic floor in order to measure LH area. Levator hiatus area was measured at gestational week 21 and 37, at rest, during contraction and during Valsalva maneuver - giving 6 measurements all together. The change in LH area was computed between the two different timepoints.

    Time frame: 21 weeks and 37 weeks of gestation

  3. Change in Levator Hiatus Area During Valsalva Maneuver Measured Via 3D Ultrasound

    3-dimensional ultrasound was used to capture the axial plane of the pelvic floor in order to measure LH area. Levator hiatus area was measured at gestational week 21 and 37, at rest, during contraction and during Valsalva maneuver - giving 6 measurements all together. The change in LH area was computed between the two different timepoints.

    Time frame: gestational week 21 and 37

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Bladder Neck Mobility Measured Via 3D Ultrasound

    3-dimensional ultrasound was used to capture the axial plane of the pelvic floor in order to measure LH area. Bladder neck mobility was measured at gestational week 21 and 37, at rest and during Valsalva maneuver . The change in mobility from rest to valsalva was computed between the two different timepoints.

    Time frame: gestational week 21 and 37

Other outcomes

  1. Health Related Complaints

    Time frame: 20 months

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Results

Posted Feb 18, 2019
Limitations and caveats
We did not examine the women before they were pregnant and therefore do not have information about how the pelvic floor was before pregnancy. It is therefore possible that we have underestimated the change happening to the levator hiatus.

Participant flow

January 2010 - july 2011

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneFirst Time Delivery
Started300
Completed274
Not completed26

Outcome measures

PrimaryChange in Levator Hiatus Area at Rest Measured Via 3-dimensional Ultrasound at Gestational Week 21 and 37.

3-dimensional ultrasound was used to capture the axial plane of the pelvic floor in order to measure LH area. Levator hiatus area was measured at gestational week 21 and 37, at rest, during contraction and during Valsalva maneuver - giving 6 measurements all together. The change in LH area was computed between the two different timepoints giving 3 outcomes

Time frame:
21 weeks and 37 weeks of gestation
Reported as:
Mean · cm
Change in Levator Hiatus Area at Rest Measured Via 3-dimensional Ultrasound at Gestational Week 21 and 37.
cmPrimiparous Women Levator Hiatus Area During Valsalva Maneuver
Change in Levator Hiatus Area at Rest Measured Via 3-dimensional Ultrasound at Gestational Week 21 and 37.2.0 ± 1.7
PrimaryChange in Levator Hiatus Area at Contraction Measured Via 3D Ultrasound at Gestational Week 21 and 37

3-dimensional ultrasound was used to capture the axial plane of the pelvic floor in order to measure LH area. Levator hiatus area was measured at gestational week 21 and 37, at rest, during contraction and during Valsalva maneuver - giving 6 measurements all together. The change in LH area was computed between the two different timepoints.

Time frame:
21 weeks and 37 weeks of gestation
Reported as:
Mean · cm
Change in Levator Hiatus Area at Contraction Measured Via 3D Ultrasound at Gestational Week 21 and 37
cmPrimiparous Women Bladder Neck Mobility Rest to Valsalva Maneu
Change in Levator Hiatus Area at Contraction Measured Via 3D Ultrasound at Gestational Week 21 and 371.2 ± 1.2
Other pre-specifiedHealth Related Complaints
Time frame:
20 months

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

PrimaryChange in Levator Hiatus Area During Valsalva Maneuver Measured Via 3D Ultrasound

3-dimensional ultrasound was used to capture the axial plane of the pelvic floor in order to measure LH area. Levator hiatus area was measured at gestational week 21 and 37, at rest, during contraction and during Valsalva maneuver - giving 6 measurements all together. The change in LH area was computed between the two different timepoints.

Time frame:
gestational week 21 and 37
Reported as:
Mean · cm
Change in Levator Hiatus Area During Valsalva Maneuver Measured Via 3D Ultrasound
cmPrimiparous Women Levator Hiatus Area
Change in Levator Hiatus Area During Valsalva Maneuver Measured Via 3D Ultrasound3.3 ± 3.5
SecondaryChange in Bladder Neck Mobility Measured Via 3D Ultrasound

3-dimensional ultrasound was used to capture the axial plane of the pelvic floor in order to measure LH area. Bladder neck mobility was measured at gestational week 21 and 37, at rest and during Valsalva maneuver . The change in mobility from rest to valsalva was computed between the two different timepoints.

Time frame:
gestational week 21 and 37
Reported as:
Mean · cm
Change in Bladder Neck Mobility Measured Via 3D Ultrasound
cmPrimiparous Women Bladder Neck Mobility Rest to Valsalva Maneu
Change in Bladder Neck Mobility Measured Via 3D Ultrasound-0.11 ± 0.8

Adverse events

Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
First Time Delivery———

Baseline characteristics

Age, Categorical
Age, Categorical(Participants)First Time Delivery
<=18 years0
Between 18 and 65 years300
>=65 years0
Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)First Time Delivery
Mean28.6 ± 4.2
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)First Time Delivery
Female300
Male0
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(participants)First Time Delivery
Norway300
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Study locations

1 site
  • Akershus University Hospital
    Lørenskog, Akershus, Norway
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References and documents

Publications

  • Bo K, Hilde G, Staer-Jensen J, Siafarikas F, Tennfjord MK, Engh ME. Does general exercise training before and during pregnancy influence the pelvic floor "opening" and delivery outcome? A 3D/4D ultrasound study following nulliparous pregnant women from mid-pregnancy to childbirth. Br J Sports Med. 2015 Feb;49(3):196-9. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2014-093548. Epub 2014 Aug 6. PubMed 25100734 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 18, 2019, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01045135
Lead sponsor
University Hospital, Akershus
Collaborators
The Research Council of Norway, South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority
Responsible party
Marie Ellstrøm Engh (M.D. PhD, University Hospital, Akershus) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jan 8, 2010
Start date
Dec 2009
Primary completion
Oct 2012
Completion
Jun 2013
Results posted
Feb 18, 2019
Last update
Feb 18, 2019

Study contacts

Marie E Engh, M.D., PhD
study director · University Hospital, Akershus

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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