Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in Pregnancy, Alone or Inside a General Exercise Program: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work with pregnant and postpartum women, in outpatient pelvic health, obstetric, or general orthopedic settings, and clinicians who teach or supervise prenatal exercise classes. Physical therapist assistants will find the material useful for carrying out pelvic floor and prenatal exercise programs under the direction of a physical therapist.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in pelvic health, obstetric, outpatient orthopedic, and wellness settings, plus clinicians involved in prenatal group exercise programming.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Intermediate

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

Zhang D, Bø K, Montejo R, Sánchez-Polán M, Silva-José C, Palacio M, Barakat R. Influence of pelvic floor muscle training alone or as part of a general physical activity program during pregnancy on urinary incontinence, episiotomy and third- or fourth-degree perineal tear: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2024;103(6):1015-1027. DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14744. PMID: 38140841. PMCID: PMC11103147.

This course reports on that single source. All findings, limits, and conclusions described here come from that review.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe what the systematic review examined, including the population of pregnant women studied and the three outcomes the reviewers pooled.
2. State the direction of the pooled findings for urinary incontinence, third- or fourth-degree perineal tear, and episiotomy.
3. Explain the limits the authors named and what they concluded about pelvic floor muscle training delivered alone or as one part of a general exercise program.

1. Start Here: course overview, objectives, and how to earn credit
2. Podcast: Pelvic Floor Training in Pregnancy, On Its Own or Inside an Exercise Class (about nine minutes)
3. Why Pregnancy, the Pelvic Floor, and Exercise Were Studied Together
4. How the Review Was Built: Trials, Databases, and Who Was Included
5. What the Pooled Trials Showed for Incontinence, Tears, and Episiotomy
6. Where the Evidence Is Shaky: Limits the Authors Named
7. What the Authors Concluded for Antenatal Care and Exercise Programs
8. Key Takeaways
9. Post-test and course evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 0.5 contact hours (30 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. Zhang D, Bø K, Montejo R, Sánchez-Polán M, Silva-José C, Palacio M, Barakat R. Influence of pelvic floor muscle training alone or as part of a general physical activity program during pregnancy on urinary incontinence, episiotomy and third- or fourth-degree perineal tear: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2024;103(6):1015-1027. DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14744. PMID: 38140841. PMCID: PMC11103147.
2. This course reports on that single source. All findings, limits, and conclusions described here come from that review.