Análise eletromiográfica da função dos músculos do assoalho pélvico de gestantes

Introduction: During pregnancy, the mechanisms of pelvic organs support and continence maintenance may change, because the uterus progressive increase in mass and volume associated with fetal weight, or by hormonal changes. In this context parity and vaginal delivery are considered factors that may predispose to the development of pelvic floor muscles disorders, such as urinary incontinence, which can adversely affect the pregnant women quality of life. Thus, it becomes important to evaluate these muscles during pregnancy and among the used methods, there is the electromyography. However there are still evidence about pregnancy and delivery impact on pelvic floor muscles function during pregnancy. Objectives: We performed three studies in order to systematize and analyze the scientific evidence about the electromyographic evaluation of pelvic floor muscles function in pregnant women (STUDY I), to compare the pelvic floor muscles function in the third trimester between primigravid pregnant women and primiparous pregnant women who had previous vaginal delivery, identifying the factors that may predispose pregnant women to pelvic floor dysfunction (STUDY II), and to compare the quality of life of pregnant women with and without urinary incontinence, identifying the main factors that negatively affect quality of life (STUDY III). Methodology: The study I conducted a systematic review of electronic databases: Medline, PubMed, Scielo, Pedro and Lilacs until july/2013, searching studies that used protocols for evaluating the pelvic floor muscles function during pregnancy, by electromyography. Study II evaluated the pelvic floor muscles function of 19 primigravid pregnant women and 21 primiparous pregnant women who had previous vaginal delivery, between 34th and 36th gestational week, by surface electromyography, with the following protocol: 15 seconds of rest to basal activity registration, three maximal voluntary contractions held by two seconds, with an interval of one minute between each one, and three volunteers ...